Lorelei's Covenant
by obsidianLight16
Summary: Something went wrong. Two scions, with hair of red, are born against the will of the Score. Only time will tell whether this will lead Kimlasca-Lanvaldear to its promised prosperity, or take them down a long, twisted road of a future they could have never predicted. They will lead the world on a new path of life...But it doesn't mean they have to get along to do it.
1. Prologue

**A/N: I've played the game and watched the anime several times over, as well as read the great stories here on FF. Then I got the urge one day to write my own multi-chaptered rewrite of the entire game! Sounds fun, right? Of course, I'll work to make this story different from both the canon and fictional stories on here. But wish me luck- this is quite a big project as I'm sure you all know! This is also one of my, 'what would have happened if' fics. TOA is perfect for exploring this...**

**So here's the start to the story! I'll try to have the first chapter up by tomorrow. **

**Keep in mind that this was seventeen to eighteen years ago. Lady Susanne and Duke Fabre are a bit more…lively than before the exhaustion that comes with raising children happens. Or so that's my excuse.**

**Enjoy the first part. Don't worry, after this, AN will come at the end. **

**Disclaimer: All rights to Namco and such. Nothing is mine but the plot. **

* * *

Prologue: Yulia's Naming Prophecy

* * *

"_ND2000 In Kimlasca shall be born one who inherits the power of Lorelei. He will be a boy of royal blood with hair of red. He shall be called the 'light of the sacred flame' and he will lead Kimlasca-Lanvaldear to new_-"

"Will you _hush_ that mouth of yours!" a frazzled-looking wet nurse snapped, glowering fiercely at the formally dressed Scorer in the corner of the room.

The Scorer looked taken aback, hesitantly looking in between the wet nurse and Duke sitting beside the rumpled sheets of the Lady's bed. His dark blond hair was plastered to his forehead beneath the hat of his uniform, causing an uncomfortable itch. "But I have been asked by His Grace to read-" he started to say.

"I don't care _what _you've been asked to do," the wet nurse growled. "I have a baby to help deliver, and I can't focus when you're droning over my instructions to Her Grace."

Duke Fabre frowned and prepared to reprimand the stout woman, but his words were caught in his throat as his wife in labor crushed his fingers with her surprisingly strong ones. He turned his attention from the wet nurse to his wife.

"Leave…her…be, dear," Lady Susanne grit from in between clenched teeth, strands of dark crimson hair hanging wild before her pale, sweating forehead. Her left hand grip on his hand trembled violently as the wet nurse standing at the edge of the bed concentrated on the task of safely delivering the child inside.

"Leave my hand be," Duke Fabre muttered in response. Luckily for him, his wife hadn't heard. Because if she had… The Duke cringed at the very thought.

"Alright… one more push should do it," the wet nurse encouraged with a warm smile, as if she had never been irritated in the first place.

Lady Susanne gave a barely noticeable nod of her head and shut her eyes, pushing viciously with every last bit of energy she had left.

There was a piercing wail.

Duke Fabre grimaced, his hand completely numb as his wife fell back in exhaustion, struggling to regain her erratic breathing.

"You did it," the wet nurse praised the Lady. "Congratulations, it's a boy."

"Just as the Score said," the Scorer humbly said, bowing his head. "Many blessings, Your Grace."

Duke Fabre, tearing his gaze from his most-likely mangled fingers, spared a glance at the young man. "Your services are no longer required. Speak to Ramdas for your payment," he said.

"Yes. Thank you." The Scorer raised his head and left the room quickly, eager to leave the sharp gaze of the Duke and wet nurse alike.

The wet nurse, with the aid of several other maids assisting nearby with towels and warm water, separated the red-haired baby that had come out and carefully swathed the child in a fluffy white blanket. A wide smile crossed her portly, dimpled features, and she handed the Lady's new son to her. "Now don't worry," she began to say. "You rest right here. I'll be back in a moment. Then we'll take care of everything else and clean up."

Lady Susanne accepted her child with a tired, yet soft smile. She thanked the wet nurse and then moved her attention to her husband, cradling the bundle of white blanket in her arms in a gentle manner only she could possess. "Look dear," she said as the wet nurse and maids that had been with her left the room for a brief moment. "Our son."

"Yes," Duke Fabre replied, offering a small smile back, glad his hand had been released when Susanne had taken the baby. "Of course his name shall be-"

Susanne's face suddenly contorted and she let out a horrendous noise of agony, flinching and squeezing her eyes shut. The Duke was on his feet immediately, looking at her in great concern. "What is it, Susanne?" he demanded to know.

"There's…another," Susanne whispered, squeezing the baby she held tight as her stomach rolled and curled.

"Another?" Duke Fabre stared.

"Another _child_," Susanne ground out, opening an eye to glare.

Duke Fabre blinked in slight confusion. "Another _child_?"

"Is there an echo?" Susanne angrily asked. "Help deliver it! I'm in _pain_."

"R-Right." The Duke moved to stand at the edge of the bed. And then he stared. "Susanne," he said after a moment.

"_Yes?"_

"What am I supposed to do?" Duke Fabre pinned her with a serious look, though his voice has raised a considerable amount."

"Ease him out!" Susanne cried, her soft features continuing to twist in pain.

"How!" the Duke shouted.

Susanne grew frustration, fixing her husband with a vicious look. "Grab his head!"

"Susanne, there's nothing _to _grab!"

The wet nurse and several maids hurried into the Lady's chamber at her cries and the Duke's panicked shouts. Immediately the wet nurse ushered the Duke aside and took his place, looking utterly bewildered. She called out quick orders to the equally baffled maids and prepared to deliver a second child. Though this baby came out much easier than the first, the wet nurse held the child as if it were a bad omen. She still cleaned and wrapped the second red-haired baby in a soft blue blanket- which wailed even louder than the first that began crying at the flurry of motion.

"A-A second child," the wet nurse managed to get out, offering the baby hastily to the Duke. "A second son!"

He took the child and made a face similar to the one the wet nurse wore before walking quickly to Susanne's side and giving her the wrapped baby. He was just as baffled, if not even _more_, than the others in the room. "Susanne… there's not another one coming is there?"

Susanne cradled the screaming babies close to her chest. "No. I'm sure he was the last dear," she wearily said, supressing an improper eyeroll.

The wet nurse looked at both the heads of the House, stricken. "Your Graces, if- if I may please be excused… There are, other duties I must see to briefly. I'll have someone else sent in," she hurriedly added.

Susanne nodded her head. "You may. Thank you."

The wet nurse scurried backwards and out the room, the door closing with a sharp click. The other maids remained in the room, unsure as to what exactly they were supposed to be doing.

"She will tell everyone in the manor," Duke Fabre muttered, displeased.

"They will know anyway," Susanne soothed him. She held both sobbing babies with ease, trying to quiet them with soft jostles.

"There was only supposed to be one," Duke Fabre noted, staring intently at the pair of wrapped babies. He lifted his gaze to meet Susanne's. "Shall we get rid of one?"

Susanne looked aghast, as did the other maids in the room. "Of course not dear! They are equally my children. We won't abandon one simply because the Score was mistaken!"

Duke Fabre narrowed his eyes. "But the Score…"

Susanne narrowed her eyes right back at him, no longer the epitome of fragility and peace. "We will keep them _both."_

The Duke and Lady of House Fabre engaged in a silent match of wills, the maids glancing worriedly in between them. Several moments passed before Susanne's brows furrowed and Duke Fabre silently cursed, averting his gaze to the carpeted floor below.

Susanne smiled sweetly at him at the show of defeat. "I'm glad we've come to an agreement dear."

Duke Fabre folded his arms, grouchy. "…As am I."

Taking this as their cue, the maids finally moved from their stupor and started cleaning up the Lady's bedroom which had become a labor chamber for the past nine hours.

The twin babies took one look at each other from either side of Susanne- and began shrieking.

Susanne tried to quiet them, gently asking, "What's wrong?" even though she knew they wouldn't respond.

"See? They don't even like each other," Duke Fabre pointed out. "This will be a hassle Susanne."

"It won't," Susanne scolded. "Now stop saying such nonsense and come let us name them."

Duke Fabre reluctantly moved closer to the bed, looking at the identical squinted faces of his…sons. Although they had quieted slightly within the past minute, they were still making loud huffing noises and wails of distaste whenever silence prevailed for more than three seconds. "The Score said that you would give birth to a child we would name 'the light of the sacred flame'," he said.

"But the Score was wrong," Susanne softly replied. "Should we really name one as the Score said?"

"Of course we should," Duke Fabre sternly said. "If at the very least _something_ goes right here, it'll be the naming of one of them."

"_Dear_," Susanne reprimanded.

"I'm only speaking the truth," the Duke uttered. He studied the pair of twins carefully, trying to see past the snot beginning to run down their noses. "Which one came first?"

Susanne looked exasperated. "The one in the white blanket dear. It didn't happen _that _long ago."

"Then let that one be called 'Luke'," the Duke proclaimed.

"No," Susanne disagreed. She affectionately looked at the son in the white blanket before moving her eyes to his twin in the blue one. "This little one will be named 'Luke'."

Duke Fabre frowned heavily. "You can't pick favorites Susanne."

Susanne lifted a dainty brow at his words. "I'm not. It merely suits him more. Look at his hair," she urged.

Duke Fabre did as told. "…What about it?"

Susanne sighed lightly as the maids finished cleaning around them. "It's just a bit lighter than our first son's."

The Duke looked at him wife blankly. "Is that how you're naming them? Why not call the firstborn 'Asch' then?" he sarcastically said. "I'm sure he won't mind, if only because his hair is a shade darker."

Susanne thought about saying something on his attitude, but changed her mind, instead taking a liking to the dryly offered name the more the name rang through her head. "Yes… that's a fine idea dear. The firstborn will be named Asch, and the second, Luke."

Duke Fabre rubbed a tired hand over his worn features. "I have no say in this, do I?"

Susanne smiled prettily at her husband. "None at all."

* * *

Later that evening as the Duke watched his wife sleep curled with her newborn twins, he stood from the chair beside the large bed and shook his head. Carefully he moved several fallen strands of hair from his wife's face before stepping back and turning to leave the bedroom. "Susanne…" he quietly said aloud, pausing in the doorway. "I hope you know what you're doing…"

"I do."

Duke Fabre stiffened and looked over his shoulder. Susanne remained lying, but she was wide awake and filled with a certain calmness. "Perhaps the Scorer was simply mistaken dear."

"…Perhaps," the Duke became thoughtful. There _was_ something shifty about the Scorer from the start."Yes. You're right." Duke Fabre's gaze hardened and he firmly nodded his head. "I'll be sure to have the guards hunt him down for questioning-"

Susanne's slightly exasperated laugh cut him off. She slowly shook her head at him, eyes dancing mirthfully. "There's no need. Can't you just be happy we have two new sons to spend our lives with? I know I am."

Duke Fabre opened his mouth to argue but saw little point in it when his wife stared at him in such merry joy. He sighed and lowered his chin. "I'm happy too Susanne. Just a bit concerned, that's all."

"Well don't be," Susanne lightly chided. "Go to bed dear. I'll be alright with the children."

Duke Fabre watched as his wife settled back between her sheets and wrapped her arms protectively around the twins. A smile tore at his lips and he moved away from the door, coming to sit at Susanne's bedside once again.

Susanne seemed surprised. "Dear…"

"I will stay here for the night," Duke Fabre told her, his voice loosing its gruff edge. "You get your rest."

Susanne smiled at her husband and gave a single nod before allowing her eyes to slip shut.

And thus the scions of Lorelei were born, setting the world on a new path to prosperity.

The Duke supposed he would put his trust in Susanne as he always had and let the gut feeling he had of something being horribly wrong be left alone. Susanne was usually right in most cases. Besides, the idea of having two sons to train and raise to be valiant nobles was beginning to excite him. Maybe having twins be born wouldn't be so bad after all!

When Duke Fabre reflected on these feelings many years later, he would wonder what had even possessed him to have such optimistic thoughts.

Because his gut instinct had been right after all.

Horribly, horribly right.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts...? **

**It's okay- either way I'll continue or else I'd drive myself crazy ****:D**


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One: House Fabre

* * *

Her footsteps echoed lightly throughout the dimly glowing chamber as she stepped onto the pathway that would lead her to the surface. Her eyes were hard, features fixed in a somber determination; one white-gloved hand wrapped around her bladed staff. Behind her, she could feel the eyes of her grandfather upon her back, but she ignored him in favor of steeling her mind.

"So the time has come…"

She stepped in the center of the seals, the pathway glowing a brighter hue of blue.

"Prepare."

* * *

_Baticul, the Capital of Light_

_Kingdom of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear_

_Remday, Rem-Decan 23, ND2018_

There was a feeling of eternal peace over the Fabre Household that blue-skied morning. Small clouds lazily drifted by as the sun rose higher, the fonstone fragments belonging to the ring hovering high within the sky, gleaming slightly and clearly visible. Staring absent-mindedly at these fonstone through his wide open window was young Luke fon Fabre, second son of Lady Susanne, and fourth heir to the throne should any harm befall the firstborn. Not that he cared about something like the _throne_. His arrogant twin could _have_ the stupid thing!

Luke continued to stare out the window for another moment before shaking his head and tearing his gaze from the fonstones. He always wondered what they were doing up there, floating about. He didn't see any _real _purpose in them being there, but he knew that if he asked, he'd just get some long, boring explanation from the only tutor left in the manor.

All the rest had been scared away. At least it was the _one _thing Luke could actually blame on his twin and not lie about.

Luke scratched at his thick bangs with a fingerless gloved hand, moving through his small, cluttered room in search of his jacket and sword sheath. He paused only once to look at the painting of Van hanging on the wall, admiring the poised stance the powerful man stood in, one hand resting on the equally strong sword at his waist. Luke could feel Van's kind, yet firm, gaze through the painting, and it made him slightly giddy as he averted his attention. Although Van hadn't been around the manor recently, Luke kept hoping and pestering his parents as to when the man would be coming by again to help him with his sword training.

It was the only _interesting _thing to do nowadays.

Luke found his crumpled jacket halfway beneath his bed, and after pushing to his feet and brushing his black pants off, shrugged the white garment on. It was lined with gold, as were his pants, splitting down the back into two coattails; the inside a rich maroon. He had a similar blue one, lined at the ends with silver, but it was covered in far too much dirt to be presentable after the last fight he and his twin had gotten into in the courtyard. Luke may not have cared about the keeping up an appearance of a noble, but he had the sense to know that even that poor white jacket was as good as useless to wear around. In public, anyway.

He located his sword sheath at the foot of the bed quickly afterwards and fixed it across his back, although he knew he had no real sword to put inside at the moment. He kept asking his father to let him keep one, but he kept refusing and for some reason was ridiculously stubborn on the issue. It was like his father didn't trust him or something!

Grumbling under his breath about how much his father angered him, Luke straightened himself up and began to head for his bedroom door. He had barely taken three steps in its direction before he was brought to his knees, clutching his head in agonizing pain with shaking fingers. He ground his teeth and shut his eyes, unable to muster the ability to even _try _and stand. He barely had the chance to make sense that it was another one of his headaches before a hauntingly familiar voice resonated through his mind, sounding as scattered and detached as it always had.

_'Scions... fragments of... heed... my voice...'_

Through the whirring hum of loud noise and echoing voice try to crush his skull, he managed to hear his name being called from the direction of his open window.

"Luke!"

The headache faded almost immediately, but all strength had left his body. There was the sound of light footsteps before Luke found himself being helped to his feet by his servant and friend. "Guy?" He removed the single hand left on the side of his head, looking confusedly at the taller blond beside him. "What are you doing here?"

The blond, Guy Cecil, looked at him in concern. "I was just stopping by to see what you were up to," he replied. "A headache again?"

Luke stepped away from Guy and glowered at the ground. "Yeah. But this time there was something different about it."

Guy furrowed his brows. "Different?"

"The voice sounded more urgent," Luke said, frowning heavily.

Guy blinked at the young redhead. "I'm sorry, did you say _voice_?" he incredulously asked.

Luke snapped his head up and bit his tongue, looking mildly alarmed. That's right! He hadn't told anyone inside the manor about hearing voices in his head! His twin had never once mentioned hearing anything, so Luke thought it might have just been his imagination. His skeptical ego whispered that he was an idiot and any voice that tried to split his head in two by talking to him was far from his 'imagination'.

"Luke...?" Guy eyed him suspiciously.

Quickly, Luke laughed and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Did I say voice? I meant dice."

"What? That doesn't even rhyme."

"Sure it does. In Ancient Ispanian," Luke triumphantly countered.

Guy sighed and brought a hand to his face. "No it doesn't. You don't know Ancient Ispanian anyway."

Luke flushed in embarrassment. "Yeah, well, whatever! Forget I said anything."

Guy stared, even more suspicious now that he knew his friend had let something slip he had been trying to keep secret. "You haven't been hearing voices for long, have you?"

"_No_," Luke rolled his eyes. "I'm just tired from staying up all night."

Guy was unconvinced but let the matter drop for the time being. Getting Luke so worked up first thing in the morning wouldn't be wise. He cared for Luke, he really did. But the kid had some temper problems. "Fine. I won't pry into it any further. I'm worried though. You've had these headaches since you were a baby. And the doctor says that nothing seems to be wrong..."

"It's my stupid father's fault," Luke cursed. "Letting me and even more stupid Asch get kidnapped the night we were born. What kind of father does that?"

"I'm sure he didn't mean to," Guy said with a half smile, though the light in his eyes had dimmed. "I mean, it was Malkuth who did the actual kidnapping. I'm sure your dad was weakened from helping Lady Susanne give birth. It would wear anyone out, you know."

"I guess," Luke crossly mumbled. "I'm still blaming him more than Malkuth for my kidnapping though, and these annoying headaches and voices. I can't even tell if it's one voice or more..."

"So you really _are _hearing voices!" Guy exclaimed.

Luke cringed, caught once more. "I mean-"

"Hey, maybe you really _are _going crazy," Guy joked, saving himself from another poor lie.

Luke moodily crossed his arms and looked away. "That's not funny," he muttered.

A light knock rapped on the bedroom door, bringing their conversation to a stop.

"Master Luke?" a feminine voice inquired. "May I come in?"

Guy blanched and hurriedly ran to the window. "Damn, can't be seen in here," he said. He climbed on the windowsill and offered Luke a short wave. "I'll see you later Luke. Try not to get into any trouble."

Luke scoffed. "Bite me."

"Master Luke?" the voice asked again.

Luke shifted his attention to the door as Guy dropped from the window, saying in irritation, "Okay, come in already. Sheesh..."

The door swung open and a short blonde maid entered the bedroom, bowing politely even though she had the strong desire to hit him over the head. His attitude was _horrible. _Although she guessed she shouldn't complain. He treated everyone the same way, so at least she knew he didn't have a dislike of servants and maids like the Duke.

"Master Luke, your presence is required in the drawing room," she relayed, lifting her head.

"What?" Luke lifted his brows at her. "What for?"

"I do not know," she answered. "However, I would suggest that you hurry. His Grace and Master Asch both seemed to be in a foul mood this morning."

Luke rolled his eyes at the mention of his father and twin in one sentence, and scratched irritably behind his ear. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be there in a second. A couple more minutes won't kill them."

"Very well then, Master Luke." She bowed again and then left, taking in a deep breath of fresh air as she did so to calm her frazzled nerves.

"Tch. What do _they _want from me?" Luke muttered. He headed for the door a few minutes after the maid had left and his anger had died down some, sparing only one last glance around the area of his small room.

He hated the room with all of his being, having been forced to remain inside the manor and mostly his bedroom since his kidnapping- which had been from _birth. _But even though he hated this bedroom so much, it was the only place he felt comfortable in. A good portion of the household stayed away from him because he had been born against the Score, and he didn't miss the dirty looks they shot him. Guy was the only one he could really trust. Well- Guy and Van. Maybe Luke felt safer in his room because of the painting of the man?

Luke grinned at the thought and left his room with a bounce in his step. Van made everything better! He was kind and praised him all the time, even when he messed up or caused trouble. Sometimes Luke wished Van had been his dad instead of his current father. He knew for certain that Van would _never _let him get kidnapped by Malkuth.

Oh well. As Guy always told him, 'wishing won't make it so'.

Luke sighed and trudged his way down the manor halls towards the drawing room, making sure to give every servant and maid that dared sneer at him an even uglier one back. He made it to the drawing room in under five minutes and pulled the door open, stepping inside as if he hadn't a single care in the world.

Duke Fabre's stern face greeted him from where he sat at the large table in the center of the room. "Luke- you're late."

Luke ignored him completely, running into the room as soon as he saw the familiar brown hair pulled into a wild ponytail and familiar Oracle Knight garb. "Master Van!" he happily exclaimed, claiming a seat next to his sword trainer.

"You're eager as always Luke," Van warmly said to his student. "You've grown quite a bit."

"Yeah! I've gotten stronger too!" Luke cheerfully told him. "I've been practicing lots!"

"But you _still _suck. Oh well. That's to be expected from dreck like you."

Luke froze in his seat, turning his head slowly to see that not only his calm-looking mother sat across from him and Van, but also the bane of his existence. An identical set of hard emerald eyes glared at him, hidden partially by a similar, yet darker array of crimson bangs. Luke narrowed his own eyes and scoffed. "Asch."

His older brother, and twin, Asch Fon Fabre, scoffed right back at him. "Dreck."

"Don't call me that!" Luke shouted, already worked up.

Asch folded his arms across his chest and smirked. "Why? You know it's what you are. Everyone in the manor thinks so too." He dressed comfortably in dark boots and pants, with black gloves to his elbow. He wore a jacket just like his twin's, only it was black in color and lined in red. The gray shirt he wore beneath the exposing jacket covered all parts of his stomach, unlike his stupid brother's.

Though Luke was hurt at the words, he knew just where to strike back. "At least our servant actually _likes _me. He can't stand to be around a pompous bastard like you!" he retorted, smirking smugly in satisfaction at the brief flicker of rage in his twin's eyes.

"You weren't even supposed to be born!" Asch snapped, a nerve struck. "He wouldn't have anyone to like if you hadn't existed like the Score originally said."

"Well too bad for you! I was born despite the dumb Score!" Luke yelled as his face turned a shade of red and purple, a button pushed too far in. "It was wrong!"

Asch sneered and started to say, "Yeah, you're right. The Score _should _have read as, ND2000 In Kimlasca shall be born the _moron_ of Lorelei's power. He will be of dreck blood with hair of red. He shall-"

"- be called the 'charred remains of the better sacred flame' and he will wreck havoc and destruction upon Auldrant and all other worlds as the stupidest person to ever-" Luke was abruptly cut off by Asch kicking him in the shin.

"Shut up!"

"Boys please!" Susanne pleaded. "Not in front of Sir Dorian General Grants."

"It's quite alright," Van assured her as the two redheads ceased their bickering, reluctant as they were. "I have come to expect these little arguments during my time here in the manor. It's of no disturbance any longer."

Susanne smiled at the Commandant. "You are too kind."

"Why is Van here anyway?" Asch rudely asked.

"That's _Master _Van to you!" Luke angrily snapped.

"No one cares," Asch kept his dark gaze firmly locked on the unmoving eyes of their sword trainer. "Today's not a training day. Why would you have come down here?"

"Very perceptive of you, Asch," Van praised as if the twins hadn't just been screaming their heads off at one another. "I came to inform His and Her Grace of my absence from the manor in these upcoming weeks. I thought you two would also want to know of my reasons," he cast Luke a short glance as he said this.

Luke looked utterly confused. "What? You're leaving? What for!" he cried.

"Maybe he finally got sick of you," Asch snidely said.

"If it's anyone he got sick of, it's _you!" _Luke heatedly replied.

"Maybe he grew sick of the _both _of you like I have," Duke Fabre grouched. "Shut your mouths and let Dorian General Grants speak."

The twins cast their father identical looks of annoyance and muttered a low, "Whatever."

Van chuckled despite a slight migraine forming from all the arguing and loud voice of the Duke. "Thank you, Your Grace. I come bearing troublesome news. It seems that Fon Master Ion has gone missing. As head of the Oracle Knights, I have been asked to help aid in the search for him. We cannot afford any disputes breaking out so soon after the last war."

Asch and the Duke narrowed their eyes, Susanne gasping lightly and bringing her hands to her mouth. Luke, however, was lost as soon as the name was mentioned. He didn't even care about the name. How could Van be going away? He just got to the manor!

"But you can't leave!" Luke burst out. "Why the heck is this 'Ion' guy so important that you have to go?"

"_Luke_," Duke Fabre sharply admonished.

Asch made a disgusted face at his twin. "What are you, stupid? Nevermind, don't answer that."

"Luke dear," Susanne calmly said, drawing her younger son's attention from Asch. "You must understand that Fon Master Ion is very important. He's the leader of the Order of Lorelei."

"I don't even know what that is, and I don't care," Luke obnoxiously said, leaning back in his chair.

"You're definitely stupid," Asch muttered. "Just like father."

Duke Fabre leveled his eldest son with a severe stare. "What was that, Asch?"

"You heard me," Asch snapped.

"No matter," Van loudly said before another argument could break out. "The point is, that I must take my leave."

"Fon Master, foam blaster," Luke said in aggravation. "Who cares! If you leave, who's gonna train me?"

"Luke!" The Duke angrily said. "Mind your manners! You're not a child and neither is Dorian General Grants! He has more important work to do than to go around playing with you just because you have nothing better to do than lounge around like the lazy, spoiled brat you are!"

Luke scoffed, dropping his chin onto a propped fist. "Well I had to get my laziness from _somewhere_. I know poor mother is forced to try and haul your carcass out of bed every morning..."

Duke Fabre's eyes flashed in rage. "You insolent-!"

"Dear, that's enough," Susanne desperately intervened, not wanting such quarrel among her family. "You know Luke is special-"

"That's not the word _I'd _use," Asch snorted under his breath.

"Shut up!" Luke kicked him violently in the knee beneath the table.

Asch scowled at his now throbbing kneecap and made an attempt to kick back. Luke looked unfazed, but Van on the other hand seemed to have his face twisted in annoyance and slight pain.

Susanne remained oblivious to the twins and Van, continuing to look pleadingly at her husband. "Ever since his kidnapping he's had it hard. He's still struggling to learn things. Both him and Asch."

"Yeah, and whose fault is that?" Luke quietly gripped.

"Not only is he missing a brain, but manners as well," Duke Fabre grouched. "You spoil him Susanne."

"That's because mother loves me," Luke snottily said, once again butting into the conversation.

Duke Fabre narrowed his eyes at his youngest son. "That makes _one _of us."

Luke shifted in his seat and glowered.

Asch rolled his eyes at his idiotic sibling and infuriating father, turning his eyes to Van who sat unable to hide his irritation at the fuss. "So... Van-"

Van looked at him.

"-since you have Oracle duties to attend to, can't you at least train me a bit before you take off? Like- teach me a new move that let's me lop that dreck's stupid head off?" Asch questioned, nodding his head at his twin.

Luke snorted. "As if you'd be able to-"

Van stood to avoid anymore bickering. "Yes. I think that's a fine idea." There was a moment of silence. Van quickly added, "To train you to for a bit before I depart."

"No, I liked Asch's suggestion," Duke Fabre uttered. To his benefit, no one heard him. Luke and Asch were busy fighting their way out the drawing room with Susanne trying to instruct her sons to go easy during practice. Van had long since left the room after agreeing to train the twins. Duke Fabre watched the spectacle in heavy exasperation with a deep set frown.

Every morning he had to deal with this. Some days were worse than others, but all of them took years off him and his fading youth. It was a miracle Susanne remained without illness when the boys were nearby. When they so much as stepped a half a mile away she grew pale and sick with worry. It was ridiculous!

The Duke glanced to his side to see that his wife had quieted. Now Susanne gazed after her shouting sons with nothing but pure affection. Duke Fabre brought his hands to his face and sighed.

He knew his life was heading downhill.

As Asch and Luke finally managed to get through the drawing room door and exit from the side of the manor, they saw Van and Guy talking in the center of the courtyard to one another. Asch shot his younger brother a sharp glare but Luke didn't need to see it to know to keep silent as they approached. He was just as curious as his twin, if not, even _more_.

"I see," Guy was saying. "You sure have it rough, don't you."

"Yes, but I don't have time to complain," Van easily replied. "I don't when I'll be coming back either."

"Is that so...?" Guy thoughtfully looked down.

Van gave a short nod. "For the time being, I'll leave the Lady, the Duke, and the twin's-"

"Oh! Master Luke! Master Asch! Greetings this fine morning!"

Both Asch and Luke jumped at the sudden voice, turning to see Pere clipping away at a hedge on the outskirt of the courtyard. The elderly man smiled at the twins, ignoring their identical scowls.

"Pere! You gave us away!" Luke said in exasperation.

"You could have said 'good morning' any other time of the day," Asch furiously said over his twin.

Pere continued to smile. "But then it wouldn't have been morning any longer, Master Asch."

Luke looked at his older brother. "He has a point."

"Shut up!" Asch stalked the rest of the short pathway to the center of the courtyard, eyeing Guy distrustfully. "What were you talking about with Van?" he outright demanded.

Guy raised his hands defensively, looking a bit sheepish at being put on the spot. "I was only asking him if I should take over your training while he's gone," he sloppily lied.

"That's not what it sounded like to me," Asch's eyes turned to slits.

"Oh leave Guy alone," Luke said as he came up behind his twin. He grinned at Guy. "You're not so bad with a sword! I wouldn't mind if you trained me while Master Van's gone."

Guy grinned back at his friend, grateful for his intervening before Asch could try and beat an answer out of him. It hadn't happened before, but there was always a first for everything. "Thanks Luke. I won't mind at all." He shifted his gaze to where Asch continued to bore holes into his skull and nervously laughed, beginning to back away. "I'll just watch from that bench over there," he said, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. "Both of you do your best."

"I always do," Asch answered, the suspicion never once leaving his eyes.

"Me too!" Luke excitedly shouted.

"Alright, alright," Van said as Guy headed for the bench along the side. "No more wasting time you two. Gather your training swords and meet me back here."

Luke eagerly bobbed his head and turned to do as instructed, only to pause mid-step as an odd sensation washed over him. Both Asch and Luke grew distracted, glancing up at the sky as a dull buzz filled their heads. _Something's coming... _they thought in unison.

As if realizing this, they lowered their chins and glanced at one another, sneering at the other before pointedly spacing themselves far apart. They each grabbed a wooden sword off the rack Van had pulled to the courtyard's edge and walked back to the center, facing their sword trainer who stood patiently across from them.

"I trust you both remember the techniques and artes I showed you last time," Van said.

"Of course," Asch replied. "It was easy for someone like me."

"How many bushes did you destroy before you mastered Fang Blade?" Luke shot at him.

"Not as many as it took you to figure out how to swing a sword in the right direction," Asch retorted. "Stupid dreck!"

"Enough," Van said over them. "Now lower yourselves into your fighting stances and begin to go through the warm-up kata I taught you. We'll move into the fighting ones afterwards."

"Yes Master!" Luke determinedly said, starting the proper but choppy stances of the simple warm-up.

"Whatever," Asch mumbled, moving his sword and his body with ease. He did his best not to pay his twin any mind, lest the moron screw him up with his overly showy movements.

Van nodded in approval several minutes lates after they finished. "Good. Now begin to-"

They were cut off in the middle of their training as a melody began flowing into their ears. Luke was alarmed as his body grew heavy and all energy left, causing him to sway violently. Asch managed to stand upright, although he looked just as drained. Van turned his gaze to the sky in thoughtful concentration before the power sapped the strength out of his body as well. Soon enough, the soft voice strong in power, washed over the courtyard, bringing all occupants inside to their knees.

"This is... a fonic hymn!" Pere exclaimed as he fell.

"I'm falling asleep," Guy cursed as he collasped to his knees, fighting to stay conscious. "What are the guards _doing_?"

Asch and Luke's knees buckled at the same time, and they fell on opposite ends of the courtyard, with Van kneeling in the center, trying to stand. He had just risen to a crouched position with the help of his sword when the singing stopped and a sharp, distinctly feminine voice cried from above,

"I finally found you- Vandesdelca!"

Luke struggled to lift his head, and when he did, saw a fast-moving form leap from the roof of his manor and down below. _Master...Van_!

Asch noticed through one open eye that the intruder was a woman, dressed in familiar garb of an Oracle Knight. Her light brown hair flew around her lithe body as she brandished her bladed staff at Van. "Prepare to die- traitor!" she shouted, running towards him. Van dodged with relative ease, although he still clutched at his forehead and fell to his knees a second later.

"Tear. I should've known," was all Van said.

The intruder moved in to attack again.

_Master Van's in trouble! _With a surprising amount of strength that caught even _him _off guard, Luke broke past the remnants of a melodic voice calling him to slumber and pushed to his feet.

Asch, noticing his twin about to do something very stupid, also shoved to his feet and ran to Van's other side. A moment too late though.

Luke had already raised his wooden sword to protect Van. The blade on the woman's staff cut deep into the wood of his training sword, but it didn't break through. He had no time to be relieved, however, a bright light swarming around the two of them in a flurry of uncontrolled fonons. Almost immediately, another agonizing headache pounded furiously at his skull. He sensed, rather than felt, Asch cringing in a similar pain.

"Not...another stupid... headache," Luke ground between his teeth.

"Damn it," Asch cursed, clutching his forehead.

_'Resound...the will of Lorelei shall reach all my scions...and open the way...'_

The fonons continued to gather around Luke and the intruder, growing more intense within a split second. "The Seventh Fonon?" the intruder cried in alarm, finally recognizing the mass to be her own fonons mixed with another's.

"Finally something's happening to that dreck," Asch muttered, hand continuing to grab his head. He had barely finished the sentence before a rough shove from behind sent him stumbling in the direction of the swirling mass of fonons and light. He toppled into the back of the mysterious intruder just in time to feel his feet lift from the ground and for his stomach to drop as they were cast far into the sky.

Three screams of surprise echoed throughout the courtyard.

And then they were gone and the courtyard thrown into silence.

The sleep gone from his body, Guy jerked his head up and gaped at Van in disbelief. "Did you just-?"

Van turned away. "It is unfortunate that Asch was caught in it as well. You must excuse me," he said as he began walking towards one of the manor's entrances. "I should inform His and Her Grace about this."

Guy stood to his feet unsteadily and shared an uneasy glance with Pere from across the courtyard. Then he turned and hurried to follow Van inside the manor, hoping that both twins were okay.

Whatever they had been caught in sounded highly unpleasant.

* * *

**A/N: And there's the end of chapter one! How was it? I was excited and typed it up tonight instead of tomorrow. **

**Oh well.**

**If there are any errors, please feel free to let me know. I have a tendency to miss such things sometimes...**


	3. Chapter Two

**A/N: As you can see, I changed genres. Mostly because the whole story won't actually be humor... I also felt it was necessary to say before this story goes any further, that there WILL be full spoilers for the anime, even in the game. Of course a great deal will be changed, but there are still some things that are a must for the story to be kept in line with the canon world.**

**Ooh! And thanks to RubyMoonz for their review, I really appreciated it! Also to those who favorited and choose to follow this experimental story. **

**Warning: Spoilers later on, spoilers now if the game or anime hasn't been watched, mild language? **

* * *

Chapter Two: A Choked Freedom

* * *

There was something unsettling about the valley they had ended up in.

Asch couldn't quite place his finger on it, but it felt like every fon slot on his body was tingling in alarm. He frowned and gazed down at the churning water below him, rising in small waves before crashing into the crumbling cliff wall. He had seen the sea before in textbooks, and when he had managed to sneak himself out of the manor, surrounding Baticul. From his perch at the top of their kingdom in the sky, the homes and port below was more like a distant painting than real since he had never made it past the guards blocking the air lifts. But up close the water seemed almost... calming? Soothing? He wouldn't call it peaceful by the way it dully roared in the night, but the overall picture of the tall-grassed valley and slow budding flowers was very serene.

Tearing his dark gaze from the sea, Asch raised his eyes to the large moon overhead. He had never seen _this _thing so close up before either. "No thanks to father," he quietly muttered to himself.

Behind him he could hear the slightly irritated voice of the female intruder trying to wake his moron of a twin to no avail. Asch had only been out for a couple of moments when he sensed a hand moving to touch his shoulder. It was more than enough to wake _him_. There had been no words exchanged between them, just two equally hard looks scrutinizing the other. Then Asch had risen to study their surroundings and try to make sense of where they had ended up, while the intruder started her pointless efforts of waking Luke.

"Wake up..."

Asch rolled his eyes and pushed to his feet, yanking his wooden sword from where he had stuck it in the ground beside him. "No matter how many times you say it, the dreck won't wake," he told her, his rough voice carrying easily across the valley.

The intruder was beautiful for sure; her features and voice equally soft. But her cold eyes were like black stones on a marble statue, cut off and filled with a drive Asch was unable to place at the time. She may have been pretty, but Asch wasn't easily swayed by looks, and he knew better than to lower his guard any more than necessary around her. He could feel no ill will coming from her towards him, however, people were fickle and had a tendency to change without warning.

She lifted her head after Asch spoke and removed her hand from where it had been shaking Luke's shoulder. "Then what do you suggest we do? We can't stay here in this valley forever," she said, eyes unreadable as she watched Asch walk over.

"I didn't exactly _ask _to be brought to this place," Asch retorted, sliding his training sword into the sheath at his side. He stopped in front of his twin and the mysterious intruder, narrowing his eyes. "So?"

She held his gaze with ease. "So what?"

Asch folded his arms across his chest. "So who are you? Just what were you doing breaking into the manor and trying to take Van out?" he demanded to know.

She watched him silently for a few moments before sighing lightly and looking away. "My name is Tear. My reasons are my own, and I doubt someone like you could possibly understand, even if I tried to explain."

"Oh yeah?" Asch challenged. "Try me."

"No." Tear stood, not wanting to waste any more time. She glanced around them as Asch scowled. "I can see why the manor was so heavily guarded though. I didn't expect your brother to be a Seventh fonist and cause a hyperresonance." Tear frowned in thought. "Although I have no idea how you got caught up in it as well..."

"Neither do I," Asch muttered, trying to think back to what had happened. He had been standing beside Van one moment, and the next, he was tripping into this intruder and his twin. His brows lowered and he moved his gaze back to Tear, only to find that she was staring at him in minute surprise. His lips tugged down. "What?"

"No, it's nothing," Tear averted her gaze to where Luke still lay unconscious. "I didn't expect you to know what a hyperresonance was."

Asch's lips pulled themselves down further, a crease appearing in his forehead. "And why wouldn't I? It's a isofon-induced resonance. You're a Seventh Fonist too, aren't you?"

"Yes. That's correct but-"

"I may seem sheltered because I didn't know what the sea actually looked like," Asch started to say in irritation, "but I _do _read books. And I _do _ask questions. It's the dreck lying on the ground who doesn't know anything."

Tear raised a brow. "Dreck? You mean your brother?"

Asch snorted. "You assume we're _brothers_?"

"You're identical," Tear logically said. "I assume you're twins."

"He could still be adopted," Asch uttered. He dropped his gaze to the drooling face of his twin and grimaced in disgust. Just looking at the idiot's face made his stomach curl in anger. A thing like _this _related to him. Though many of the elder maids and servants had been resigned by his father after several years of the manor being filled with nothing but gossip over the bad omen younger twin, there had been enough talk that it had spread to even the younger servants of the household and remained with them over the years as the grew up.

The Score was absolute. But Luke's birth hadn't been written in it at all! If Kimlasca-Lanvaldear lost any of its promised prosperity, it would be that stupid dreck's fault. He was nothing but garbage! Something that was never meant to exist! Yet his mother doted on his twin as if he was just as precious as _he _was, and Asch couldn't stand it. Even Natalia, their cousin he was engaged to marry, was affectionate towards Luke! And Guy...

Asch scowled fiercely just at the thought.

Guy should've been _his _best friend and confidant. It was a childish grudge he held onto since he was old enough to realize that he was better than his twin. Those in the manor paid him more attention, and his father looked at him with more respect than Luke. It wasn't much more, considering how much respect the Duke actually had for his infuriating sons, but he was still seen as more important. And that's all Asch cared about.

He would become the future ruler of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear with Natalia at his side. His father and mother would look upon him proudly as his led their country to prosperity and upheld the promise he made to his fiance. The people would be relieved that the Score had been carried out, and forget that the dreck called 'Luke' had ever existed. Just as it should be.

Just how it should have always been.

Asch was broken out of his darkening notions by the mumbled garble that Luke let out as he began to wake on his own. His face was far from pleasant and remained fixed in an angry glower as Luke groggily cracked his eyes open and stared up at them. "Idiot," Asch harshly said. "Get up already!"

Luke's eyes grew more alert at the familiar voice of his irate brother. "Asch?"

"Shut up."

Luke scoffed and shifted his gaze to the person standing on his other side. He instantly grew alarmed and snapped to a sitting position. "Hey! You're-!" he cut himself off, bringing a hand to his exposed stomach that felt like it was trying to tear itself in two. "Ow..."

"Don't move," Tear said, kneeling and bringing her hand to lay on his stomach.

Luke stiffened and tried to scurry back. He didn't get very far. "W-What the hell are you doing? Don't touch me!" he exclaimed as her hand began to glow a faint hue of green.

Tear cast him a sharp look. "I'm healing the bruise you gave yourself when we landed here," she snapped. Maybe his brother wasn't lying after all when he said that this one didn't know anything. Asch certainly didn't seem fazed at her healing arte.

"Oh..." Luke quieted when he felt the pain in his stomach ebb away. He poked at his abs in wonder as Tear restood and turned her attention onto Asch.

"Now that your brother is awake," she said, "we should hurry out of this place. There are monsters in this area."

"Yeah, I know," Asch answered, one hand already on the hilt of his wooden sword. Now was one of the times he wished his father would have allowed him to have a real weapon with a blade. The wooden sword worked wonders on Luke and training dummies, but it was essentially useless in a real battle against monsters with fangs and tusks.

Luke blinked and looked in between Asch and Tear from his position on the ground. "Monsters?" He finally took in his surroundings and climbed to his feet, looking panicked. "Wait? Where are we? What's going on?" He looked to the intruder for an answer, knowing very well that Asch wasn't likely to answer.

Sure enough, Tear glanced over her shoulder at him and replied, "You and I caused a hyperresonance by accident and it brought us here."

"A hyper..." Luke scratched his ear. "What's that?"

Tear turned her head back around in mild irritation, beginning to head down to where the valley began to form a walkable path. "An isofon-induced resonance. I doubt you know what that is though, and I'd rather not spend time explaining it to it. All you need to know is that you're not in Baticul anymore."

Luke looked completely lost. "Not in Baticul anymore...?"

This time he looked to Asch, trailing behind him. His twin looked unaffected at the information. Did he know something Luke didn't? Probably. He always did. And Asch _had _been awake before him... maybe he talked to this intruder already? It would explain why Asch wasn't trying to rip her head off. Luke frowned slightly. Distantly he could hear the gentle roar of water a little ways past him, and though he wanted very much to go and see what it was, he didn't want to get left alone in this place. He had a feeling neither of the two would care much if he grew separated from them.

"Speaking of which," Asch said, breaking the tense silence that had fallen over them, "do you know where we are?" he directed the question at Tear.

Tear glanced sideways at him. "No."

Asch snorted. "Then do you know where we're _going_? I don't want to walk around aimlessly."

"Use your ears and listen," Tear tersely replied. "There's the sound of a river. If we continue along this path it should lead to a wider road or town."

"Hmph." Asch did indeed hear a river and concluded that this intruder was probably right. Not like he'd ever admit it aloud.

Luke kicked at a loose pebble, ignoring the way it went sailing into a bush a couple of feet in front of him. He felt like a third wheel, left out of the conversation, and baffled as to what was going on. All he knew was that they had ended up in a valley far from Baticul and that they were trying to find a way out. He grumbled under his breath, missing the way the bush he had knocked the pebble into began to rustle.

Asch and Tear came to a halt at the same time, whirling around just in time to witness their third member of the party be mauled to the side by a giant boar. Luke crashed to the ground, clutching at a torn sleeve and bleeding arm as he rolled away to avoid being struck by the boar's tusks again. He had just gotten to his knees, backed against a lumpy boulder, when several more growls echoed throughout the area. His eyes widened as they were surrounded by an array of beasts, none of which looked friendly.

"Quit standing around!" Asch barked at him, already holding his training sword in his right hand.

Luke scowled. "You're doing the same thing!"

"Shut the hell up!"

That was all the warning Luke got before the monsters charged. He stumbled away from the boulder as a monster lunged, yanking his own wooden sword from behind him. His eyebrows furrowed when he saw the deep cut made into the wood, remembering vaguely that it had been that intruder's bladed staff which had done the job. He shook his head and forced himself to pay attention to the battle at hand as the monsters let out howling cries. Asch had already knocked several beasts over the head, seemingly content with beating them to death since slicing through them like Tear was impossible. Noticing this, Tear finished off the two monsters near her and moved to dispatch the three Asch was contending with.

She started to sing, a fonic glyph appearing beneath her in a purple haze as she raised her hand and gathered the needed fonons, flinging them at the three monsters. They froze, unable to move as Asch delivered surprisingly fatal blows with his wooden sword. They toppled to the ground with heavy thuds. Asch quirked a brow at her.

"Don't let down your guard," she snapped to him, lowering into a defensive stance. "There's still one more."

Asch turned around to see what she was talking about, and suppressed a snort. "This'll take a while."

Luke stood, staring down the only beast left in the clearing, his wooden sword in front of him. He moved quickly in a dash towards the monster with a small cry. The fanged monster darted around him on its paws and raised one to strike. Luke acted on instinct, flinging his sword up to block the blow. There was an audible crack, and then his sword had broke in two, falling out of his hands. Luke froze as the monster snarled and made to attack a second time, flinching and bringing his arms before him protectively.

He felt, rather than saw, a blast of fonons brush past his face, flinging both him and the monster backwards.

Luke sat up after skidding on his backside, looking at the destroyed monster. He brought his gaze from its unmoving form to where Tear and Asch stood, the latter looking fairly disappointed. Luke had a fair idea why.

Tear looked at him, frowning. "Are you alright?"

Luke nodded wordlessly and stood, feeling embarrassed. His arm stung from where the skin had been torn open, but he didn't want to lower himself more in Asch's eyes by asking for her to heal the wound. So instead he muttered, "Yeah. Thanks."

"Then let's get moving," she said, already starting to walk again. "More monsters might have been drawn by the battle. And you no longer have a weapon."

Luke wanted to point out that his sword had only broken because it had been so damaged by her in the first place, but he doubted she would listen. Sighing, he glanced to the cut in his arm and noticed it had stopped bleeding. But the sleeve remained hideously torn. Luke tried to fix it by tearing the shredded cloth off but managed to make it worse. Giving up, he trudged after the intruder again. Asch had yet to follow Tear, waiting until Luke had begun to pass by him.

"Great. Now you're even _more _useless," Asch scathingly uttered in a low tone as Luke passed.

Luke narrowed his eyes and roughly knocked his shoulder into his twin's. "Shut up."

Asch scoffed behind him and easily strode by, taking up a place beside Tear and leaving Luke to catch up once more. "Stop your trembling. You looked like a frightened baby. Couldn't handle a single monster?" he taunted.

"I'm not trembling in fright!" Luke heatedly shouted after him, beginning to stomp. "I'm trembling with the urge to punch your smarmy face in!"

"Good luck trying to accomplish that!" Asch shouted back without even looking.

"I'll do it! Just you wait! One of these days I'm gonna-!"

"Will you two _stop_?" Tear asked in frustration, giving them both a cold look. "Do you want more monsters to attack?"

Asch arrogantly turned his nose up. "Even if we did, I'd be able to handle them easily," he said.

Luke let out a sardonic laugh as he walked by his older brother. "You have a booger."

Asch snapped his head back down and glowered heavily at Luke. "Why you..."

"You may be better at handling a sword than your brother," Tear said over them with narrowed eyes, "but a wooden sword will do little damage."

"Did you _not _see me taking out those monsters on my own?" Asch incredulously asked her.

Tear's gaze remained frigid. "I did. However, I doubt your sword will stay intact much longer if you continue to try and crush a monster's skull with it," she replied. "I'd rather avoid fighting. There's no point in wearing ourselves out."

Luke triumphantly smirked at his twin. "Looks like I'm not the only useless one here."

The look Asch sent him was nothing short of murderous.

"But you're still useless," Tear bluntly said before Asch could comment. "We gain nothing from standing here bickering. Let's just move on."

"Who died and made _you _boss?" Asch uttered, following her despite his words.

Luke, walking a couple of feet away from him, muttered, "Do _you _know the way out?"

Asch's eyes flashed. "Do _you?_"

"Quiet!" Tear snapped over her shoulder, looking thoroughly fed up. "Now!"

Asch and Luke blanched in unison and did as ordered. Though they wanted desperately to give one another a piece of their mind, it was the sharp glances from Tear that prevented them from opening their mouth. They continued through the woods in an even more tense silence than before, trudging over protruding roots and pushing moist branches aside.

Luckily for Luke, who wanted nothing more than to be back home and get away from this cold stranger and his stupid brother, they ran into no more monsters along the way. The path they had been traveling on for the past few minutes faded into another clearing, bigger than the first. Luke came to a halt as Tear and Asch paused in front of him.

"Someone's here," Asch quietly noted, having calmed considerably during their walk.

"Yes..." Tear scanned the trees, locating a river near the edge of the clearing and the shadowed form of a person moving along its bank. She indicated to Asch with a hand who nodded in response, and together they moved silently towards the suspicious figure.

Luke missed the exchange and hurriedly followed after them, annoyed that he was being left out of something again. "What are you guys doing?" he loudly asked, stomping towards the pair.

Both fixed him with vicious looks. "Shh!" Tear hissed, but it was too late.

There was a startled noise from the person they had been trying to sneak up on, and their attention turned on who it was. A man dressed in loose cotton clothing with mess of brown hair looked at them, panic in his eyes as he clutched a water-filled bucket in both hands. He looked in between the three people that had appeared in front him, nervously working his mouth.

"T-The Dark Wings!" he finally managed to exclaim.

Asch looked at him. "What?"

"You're the Dark Wings, aren't you?" the man babbled, starting to inch off to the side. "Two men and a woman; notorious bandits!"

Tear slowly lowered her brows at his words. "No. We aren't bandits, we're-"

"Bandits? Like hell we're bandits!" Luke angrily shouted.

Asch glanced at him in irritation. "Could you do us a favor and shut your mouth?"

"Shut your own mouth first," Luke told him with just as much irritation.

Tear opted to ignore the pair as they started up an argument on whose mouth was better left closed. Personally, she thought they both could keep their mouths shut, but they wouldn't listen to her even if she suggested it. They would most-likely argue _more_. She gazed at the frightened man, noticing how the water inside the metal bucket he held was spilling over the sides from the amount of shaking his arms were doing. She sighed, drawing his focus from the twins.

"You're not going to hurt me, are you?" he asked.

"No, I'm not," Tear replied. "I don't know how to prove it to you, but we aren't bandits. We got lost while wandering in these woods and are actually looking for a way out. What are you doing out here so late?"

The man warily eyed her, but responded all the same. "I'm a coachman. We hit an overturned rock and our drinking water spilled, so I stopped here to get some more."

"A coachman...?" Tear brought a hand to her chin. "Do you go to the capital?"

He nodded. "Yes. It's my last stop."

"A coachman?" Luke repeated. He pushed Asch aside and looked at the man with the bucket eagerly. "Hey! That means you have a coach right? Can we hitch a ride?"

The coachman waved a hand. "You could be the Dark Wings. Sorry, but I can't take that chance," he said.

Asch glared at the man. "Would a bunch of bandits bother to ask a ride using public transportation?" he questioned.

"W-Well, no, but-"

"We're not bandits. We just want to get out of here," Asch said with barely restrained impatience.

"Please," Tear added, seeing how neither redhead was going to say it.

The coachman hesitatingly glanced at each of their faces before sighing and hanging his head. "A-Alright. But I can't let you ride for free. I'm running a business after all."

"That's fine," Tear said, thinking of the little gald she had brought along. She hadn't the slightest clue whether the sons of the House of Fabre brought gald along with them, but doubted they had any. They weren't exactly prepared when she invaded their manor. "How much will it cost?"

"Twelve-thousand gald per person," the coachman said, a bit reluctantly once he saw the varying expressions on the faces of those before him. The look one of the redheads wore was beyond terrifying. Calling it even _that _was an understatement.

"That's expensive," Tear murmured, troubled.

"Really? I'm sure I have that lying under my bed," Luke said aloud, scratching his forehead. "We can pay you once we get to the capital, right?"

The coachman shook his head. "Sorry. I need payment in advance. I've been swindled out of gald far too many times before," he said.

"We don't have that kind of money," Asch muttered. Twelve thousand gald really did sound cheap, and he knew he had eight times that under his own bed in a locked case. But he had none of that on him.

Tear exhaled lightly and lowered her head, reaching up behind her to unclasp the pendant beneath her uniform. As she had thought. None of them had enough gald on them. "We don't have the gald," she said. "But will you accept this?"

The coachman whistled, stepping closer to inspect the glistening sapphire jewel. The gold chain it hung on looked like it would fetch a large price all on its own, nevermind the jewel itself! He nodded and took the offered pendant. "This'll do," he said. "My name's Pete, and I'll gladly take you to the capital. Just follow me."

"...Right." Tear watched as her pendant was pocketed, expression crumpled.

"Finally," Asch grumbled, following after the coachman without hesitation. "This place was getting on my nerves."

The valley had looked pleasant enough, but the woods they traveled through were damp and murky. Insects buzzed and flitted about loudly, and every tree they had passed looked the same as the one before it. Asch really only complained aloud in his manor because it angered his father and started fights with his twin; he wasn't in the habit of moaning about his problems in public. But he was sick of walking in what felt like circles. He had never been happier to find this coachman.

Tear looked after him with partially narrowed eyes, although she told herself she really couldn't expect anything different from the redhead. He may have been smarter than his brother, but his attitude could be just as horrible- same with his temper. She started to walk after him but stopped, turning to look at Asch's twin who had yet to move. She was startled by his intense gaze, but even more startled by the fact that it was fixated on her.

"W-What?" she stuttered out.

Luke stared at her for a while longer and then broke his gaze, staring at his brother and the coachman's fading backs. "...That pendant looked special," he said after a moment. "Why did you give it to him? We could have walked or something."

Tear looked at him, hiding her surprise. "Neither you nor your brother looked like you wanted to be in here any longer than you needed to. And I don't know the way out of these woods," she answered.

"Still," Luke frowned and then shook his head as they started to walk towards where Asch and the coachman impatiently waited for them at the end of the path. "What's your name anyway? I never got it."

"Oh, that's right." Tear blinked. "You were unconscious when I introduced myself. My name is Tear."

"Tear huh? I'm Luke- and in case that jerk up there didn't say anything- he's Asch. We're twins."

Tear looked faintly amused. "Yes, I gathered."

Luke suddenly looked troubled. "By the way... it's all I really remember, but you tried to kill Master Van. What for?"

If Tear noticed the difference in titles by which the twins addressed Van, she said nothing of it. "I...can't tell you."

Luke squinted his eyes at her. "That sounds shady." He would have added that she couldn't be trusted, but she _had _saved him back in that fight with those monsters. He wasn't completely ungrateful.

"Don't worry," Tear said as they approached Asch and the coachman. "I have no intention of harming either of you. I didn't mean to get you involved. I'll escort the both of you back to your manor."

Luke sighed, purposefully keeping his eyes away from his twin as the four of them headed out of the valley and woods. "That's be nice. I finally get out of the manor for what seems like fresh air, but it's more choking out here than inside that stuffy place," he mumbled.

Only Tear heard his words and they intrigued her. _More choking? _She thought that the valley was a nice, peaceful place- the monsters aside. To her, this crisp night air was refreshing. The color, though dimmed in the dark, was a marvel to her eyes. This valley, dangerous as it was, was beautiful. Far from the bleary, sickening mist which surrounded her own home.

Then Tear noticed where Luke's gaze was directed.

On the back of Asch's head.

She understood his spoken words almost immediately and found herself feeling pity. It was no secret, even to a stranger like her, that the brothers didn't get along. She wondered if Asch felt the same as Luke did. That their freedom of being let out into the wide open world had been hindered by the other's presence. This train of thought over the brother's broken relationship caused her mind to veer towards another relationship that looked just as hopeless.

_Van... _

* * *

They had easily gotten settled in the carriage belonging to the coachman on the outskirts of the woods, told to them by the single other well-dressed man inside the carriage that they had been wandering in a place known as Tataroo Valley. Asch had taken the seat beside the stranger, while Tear and Luke shared the seat across from them.

"I must say," the stranger said after a moment of them traveling in silence. "I didn't expect for us to pick up any more wanderers in Tataroo Valley of all places."

"Is it that unusual?" Tear questioned, curious.

"Well it _is _quite a dangerous place," the stranger mused, thoughtfully twirling the edge of his mustache. His top-hat remained ever crooked on his cropped brown hair. "A very pretty place to admire, however, it one were able to make it to the tall cliff at the end of it."

"Yes... it is," Tear said, thinking back on the soft flowers and gently swaying grass.

"What are _you _doing in the coach this late at night?" Asch asked the stranger, folding his arms with a suspicious stare.

"Me?" the stranger laughed lightly. "Why I'm on a business errand. You see, I'm from Baticul, and I have a partner up in St. Binah I need to meet with."

"Baticul?" Luke and Asch exclaimed.

"Why yes," the stranger eyed them oddly. "The city with the ill omen child. Although you might not have heard of it depending on where you're from... Of course _I've_ never seen this child myself, living a couple of levels below the manor he's rumored to live in. I'll say nothing more on the matter though. I'm not one for idle gossip. I doubt it's true anyway. His Grace, the Duke, only has one son anyway."

_Ill omen child? _Tear looked in between Asch and Luke, both who had grown tight-lipped. The words baffled her. She knew without a doubt that both the boys were sons of the Duke and that they were related- they were twins for Yulia's sake. What in the world was this man talking about...?

"Well rumors are just stupid stuff anyway," Luke said at long last to break the awkward silence that followed.

The stranger smiled at him. "They are, aren't they? I never bother to pay them too much attention." He brought a hand up to brush his very short bangs aside. "It is quite late and I find myself growing weary. I bid you a good night's sleep, good strangers."

"Yeah..." Luke hesitantly smiled back. "Night."

"Hmph." Asch grouchily looked out the carriage window.

Tear merely inclined her head. She waited until the stranger had drifted off to sleep, listening to the sound of the carriage wheels as they rolled over rocks and creaked loudly in protest. Then her gaze drifted to the mildly uncomfortable-looking redhead beside her, looking worriedly out his own window.

"Luke," she quietly said after another moment.

"What?" he sounded on edge.

Tear opened her mouth to question him on the subject matter, but saw that it would probably strike a nerve. Deciding that it would be best not to bring it up at all, she simply said, "You should try and get some sleep. Both of you," she added, glancing at Asch.

Luke shifted. "Yeah. Sounds good."

Asch turned sharp eyes onto her, expression hard. "Take your own advice," he said, though not unkindly. "Those fonic artes wore you out, didn't they?"

Tear flushed, only because it was true. "Well...yes." Her stamina for using her artes was not built up as well as she wanted it to be. She had no doubt that more training and battles would increase her abilities, but for now she had to concentrate on the task of getting the Duke's sons back home safely.

"Then go to sleep already," Asch ordered with a scoff, looking away again.

Luke made a face at his twin. "Try asking nicely."

"Nobody asked you, _dreck_," Asch bit back.

Luke snorted. "Too bad. Your bad attitude will get you nowhere."

Asch looked condescendingly amused. "Speak for yourself."

"Stop it," Tear said. She pointedly looked at the fourth occupant of the carriage when the twins glared at her for interrupting. "I'm going to sleep now, just as you suggested. Do the same."

They muttered nonsensical words under their breath but ceased their brewing argument.

Tear leaned against her side of the carriage and tried to adjust herself into a comfortable sleeping position, unable to help but think that Asch had looked nothing but bitter over the entire conversation with the stranger. She noticed, eyes slipping shut, that he was now scowling at his twin, and she figured that Luke would be scowling back. Maybe there was truth in what their odd carriage companion had said...? No. She couldn't see how any of what the stranger had said was true. The Duke had two sons. The fact that they were here was proof enough.

Tear inwardly shook her head and cleared her mind of all thoughts of the two brothers. She had more pressing matters to think about, such as her personal mission and the man it involved.

It was only when she was woken by the sound of fonic cannon fire several hours later, that she realized the stranger in the carriage with them had mentioned that he was heading for St. Binah- away from Baticul.

As Tear snapped her eyes open to the morning sun and the booming of explosions far too close to the dangerously swerving carriage they were in for comfort, she saw that Asch had brought a hand to the wooden sword at his waist on instinct, and that look was hanging precariously out the window. Tear frowned and tugged him back inside by the end of his coat tails, just in time to hear the stranger across from her exclaim,

"How interesting! A Malkuth landship!"

Asch and Tear froze at his words, but Luke was the only one to shout.

"Malkuth?_!"_

* * *

**A/N: I hope this story isn't going too slow, hahaha. I'm trying to keep it moving until all the characters are introduced, then you should see more of a plot! I hope it's somewhat interesting :)**

**As always, feedback is appreciated. **


	4. Chapter Three

**A/N: Man did this chapter drag itself out... I'll apologize in advance. I just hope it wasn't _too _badly written. This thing was quite the headache :D**

**Still- I hope you like it :]**

* * *

Chapter Three: Johnny Apple Seed and Thieves

* * *

Pete, the coachman, jerked the reigns of his carriage to the side, nearly overturning it as they came to a violent halt. He made sure his two faithful beasts leading the carriage were at relative ease before turning his bewildered gaze to the giant landship shooting past. He hopped down from the front seat he had been driving from, using the wheel as a partial step to reach the ground below. Keeping his eyes on the landship, and noticing that it was actually pursuing another coach (a badly driven one at that), he knocked the back of his knuckles against his own carriage door.

"Hey. Are all of you alright in there?" he questioned.

The door swung open and Pete stepped a couple of feet away, brows raising as all four occupants inside shuffled out. The redhead with the rumpled white jacket nearly stumbled over himself, gaping in disbelief as the long stone bridge they had crossed over moments before crumbled under the force of an explosion, caused by dropped bombs from the coach being chased.

"No! Aaargh! I don't _believe _this!" he exclaimed, clutching at his long hair.

Pete ignored his shouting to look at the second redhead who had followed his twin out. Bearing a sour expression, he removed his hand from the sheathed sword at his waist, scrutinizing the landship as it slid to an abrupt halt and activated a golden and blue fonic barrier to protect its front. "Great," he muttered. "Just great."

"That's the Malkuth's newest landship," the stranger from the night before said, looking highly impressed as he twirled his mustache. He shielded his eyes with hand. "I believe it's called the Tartarus."

"Who _cares _what it's called?" Luke snapped at him. "And how do you know so much about this thing anyway?"

The stranger merrily smiled. "Why it's common knowledge. You don't sound very bright. Were you sheltered as a child?" he teased.

Luke's fingers twitched. "Shut up!"

The female which Pete had accepted the pendant cast the first redhead a blank look. "Calm down Luke. Shouting won't get us to where we need to be."

Luke scowled and tried to keep the panic he felt hidden. "This _carraige _won't get us where we need to be either. How could you make a mistake like this, Tear?" he asked. Malkuth. They were in _Malkuth. _He may not remember what happened during his kidnapping, but from everything he had heard his father say, Malkuth was one of the territories he should never set foot in. Of course, it was his father's fault that he had been taken in the first place, but his father wasn't here to accuse at the moment.

"Pardon?" Tear had narrowed her eyes at Luke at his tone. "I had no idea where we were last night. What's your excuse?"

Luke crossed his arms across his chest. "I was following you and the jerk-who-thinks-he's-better-than-anyone-else over there," he retorted, jabbing a thumb at his older brother.

"Both of you shut up," Asch said, finally tearing his gaze from the landship. It had given up on following the second coach after the bridge was destroyed and now begun to retreat in the opposite direction. He frowned and looked at the driver of their carriage. "Where exactly are we?" he asked, a crease in his forehead.

Pete blinked. "We just crossed Rotelro Bridge," he answered. "We're in Malkuth territory now."

Asch narrowed his eyes. "Didn't you say this coach was headed to the capital?"

"Yeah," Pete felt uneasy under the full blast of the redhead's stare. "The capital of Malkuth, Grand Chokmah." He watched as similar expressions of irritation and disappointment crossed the faces of those he had found in Tataroo Valley, and warily eyed them. "Say, you three are acting real suspicious..."

Asch tensed while Luke froze in fear.

Pete continued to eye them. "You're not Kimlascans, are you?"

Tear looked startled for only the briefest of moments before calmly saying, "No, we're not. We had business in Baticul, however, and thought that was the capital you were headed for."

"A-And even if we _were _Kimlascans," Luke stuttered out, "it would be no big deal, right? I mean, that guy said he was from Baticul." He pointed quickly at the stranger wearing the top-hat.

Usually Asch would ignore anything his moronic twin might have said, but for the very first time in his life, he had brought up a good point. Tear seemed to followed this exact train of thought, looking at Luke briefly but appraisingly.

"What?" The stranger opened and shut his eyes several times as all attention fell onto him. Then he tilted his head back and let out a tinkling, and wholly irritating, laugh. "Oh dear me! I'm not _Kimlascan_! I merely said I was from Baticul."

"That's the same thing!" Luke accused.

"No it's not." The stranger wagged a finger at him. "I took up residence in Baticul for several years while finishing a business transaction. I believe I told you last night that I was headed for St. Binah to meet up with my partner. And if you're so insistent as to where my origins lay, then I will tell you that I come from Daath in advance, and that I have quite an odd son and pet dog."

Luke could find nothing more to accuse the man of, shooting him a vicious look instead and grumbling, "I didn't care about any of _that_..."

"And neither do I," Asch scoffed. He looked at Pete. "Where's your next stop?"

"Why do you care about that?" Luke skeptically asked.

"Why can't you ever keep your annoying mouth shut?" Asch retorted, not sparing him a glance. He continued to stare at their coachman. "Well?"

_Unbelievable..._ Tear thought to herself, bringing a palm to her forehead. _They have no manners at all..._

Pete scratched the back of his neck as he went over the route in his mind. "Well my next stop is St. Binah... but Engeve happens to be along the way, and it's closer to Roltero Bridge which was just blown out. Naturally it would've been best if you had stayed on the other side of the bridge, but there's nothing you can do about it now. I'd say passing through Kaitzur to try and catch a ship back would be your best choice," he told them.

"I guess we have no choice but to do that then," Asch said with a frown.

"Right," Pete nodded. "Then do you want to take the coach to Engeve? It's better than walking, right?"

"It would be better," Tear murmured. And she didn't want to think that she had given up her precious pendant for half of a ride in the wrong direction. She glanced at Asch and Luke for confirmation. "Well? Should we get back into the carriage?"

Luke snorted. "Of course-"

"No," Asch intervened, not bothering to look at them. He was gazing down the dirt path laid out before them, a curiously unreadable look in his eye. "We'll walk to this...Engeve and check out the sights along the way."

Tear glared at him slightly and opened her mouth to inform him of how incredibly stupid of an idea that was, but Luke beat her to it.

"Are you _stupid?_" Luke glared at him. "This isn't a vacation!"

"I never said it was you stupid idiot," Asch glared back. "Stopping in Engeve will only hold him and the other passenger up," he said while waving at Pete and the stranger. "We might as well walk and save them the trouble."

"What trouble? We _paid _him," Luke snapped.

"Wrong. Tear paid him," Asch sneered.

"That's...surprisingly thoughtful," Tear said as Luke sneered back. "Thinking of someone other than yourself." After all, Asch hadn't seemed very apologetic when Tear had given up her pendant the night before.

Asch turned his gaze to her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Tear paused and then shook her head. "Nothing." She gazed at their short-time coachman apologetically. "We apologize for holding you up. It seems we'll be walking to Engeve."

"Well, so long as you're sure," Pete replied.

Tear and Asch nodded.

"B-But-!" Luke sputtered, unable to believe his ears as Pete climbed back to his perch at the front of the carriage. A little side stop wouldn't throw the coachman and that creepy stranger off their route! Walking around freely in Malkuth was like an invitation to be noticed and possibly kidnapped again! What if someone recognized them? What if the ones who did the kidnapping were nearby?

The stranger, who had been silent for this entire exchange, let out his irritating laugh again before gracefully climbing back inside the carriage. He shut the door and looked out the window cheerfully. "Then I wish you luck on your journey. I hope no danger befalls you!"

Asch gruffly eyed him. "Why do you sound so damn happy?"

"Do excuse me, it's just in my nature," the stranger warmly apologized. "Well, if you find the time, perhaps stop by in St. Binah. You can find me by asking for a Mr. Arwin Dinglehopper."

Tear lowered her brows. "Who's that?"

"Me," the stranger, Arwin Dinglehopper, merrily said. He touched his crooked top-hat briefly, the carriage beginning to move away. "Goodbye dear friends! May we meet again!"

"Shut the hell up!" Luke shouted after the retreating carraige.

"Luke!" Tear disapprovingly glared.

"What?" he snapped, turning his back to them. "You wanted to walk, so let's get going already."

Asch sharply laughed. "As if you know where we're headed, dreck."

"Oh," Luke faced his twin. "Then did you want to lead the way? 'Cause I'm pretty sure you don't know where we're headed either."

Asch's silent scowl was enough of an answer.

Luke groaned. "Perfect. This is just like last night all over again!"

"Only you weren't half as stupid or annoying," Asch shot back. "Wait- nevermind. You're always stupid."

"Both of you give it a rest," Tear cut in, blue eyes flashing. She reached up behind her ear and pushed part of her hair back, removing a folded sheet of paper that looked well-worn but in fairly good condition. "I have a map of the world here," she said as she unfolded it completely.

"Why keep it there?" Luke questioned, blinking.

"For easy accessability," was all Tear said in reponse. "Now come here."

Asch and Luke shared a heated look before taking up opposite sides of Tear and looking at the spot on the map where her gloved finger tapped. "Is that Engeve?" Asch grumbled.

"Yes. It's east from here."

"Huh?" Luke furrowed his brows. "Well if that's Engeve, why should we waste time walking there? Let's just head to that other place the coachman mentioned and catch a ship to Baticul."

"Yeah, and while we're at it, you can go jump off a cliff for even suggesting such a stupid idea," Asch told him.

Luke scowled. "It'll save time! Right Tear?" he looked to her for support.

Tear sighed and refolded the map, making a point not to look either of the redheads in the eye so that she might control what little patience she had left. "Actually, Asch is right- ignoring the jumping off a cliff part. Trying to go to Kaitzur without proper rest or supplies is foolish. Now that we know where we're going, it won't hurt to take a small break in Engeve."

Asch victoriously smirked.

Luke, on the other hand, remained agitated and uneasy. They could manage to get to that Kaitzur place with what they had! They had gotten through Tataroo Valley easily enough, ignoring the run in with the monsters and the fact that he had done practically nothing to aid the other two. But what did they expect? It was Tear's fault for damaging his sword! Luke was now angry at Tear, for being an intruder in their manor in the first place and causing them all this trouble. He didn't want to be in Malkuth! It made him paranoid and worried, but it was obvious neither Asch nor Tear cared about how he felt.

Tear, who had already begun to take the lead, paused to glance at him and Asch. "Are you two coming or what?"

Luke scoffed. Any pity he felt towards her losing her pendant the night before was gone. "Yeah, we're coming. Why don't you slow down and actually give us a chance to catch up with you?"

Tear's eyes narrowed.

"You're digging a grave for yourself, dreck," Asch said with a smirk. "Put a sock in it. Or don't. I'd like to see how she manages to shut you up." He brushed past his twin with a smug air to walk alongside Tear.

"Put a sock it it yourself," Luke grumbled. "No one's shutting _me _up."

Tear's glower made him think otherwise.

Flinching, Luke grumpily found himself following after Tear and Asch once again anyway, his lips clamped shut. This looked like the start to another _wonderful _day. Damn it all. He was too cranky to try and bother with acting nice. Besides, his efforts were wasted on the other two. This really was Tataroo Valley all over again.

Only this time, if anything bad happened, Luke would be glad to say that it was _their_ fault.

* * *

The room they stood in was dark and damp, but in surprisingly good condition for having been underground for centuries. Inside the cramped space, among broken chairs and a worn, molding desk, stood a fairly tall blonde woman. Her thick hair bound in a wild ponytail moved slightly as she lowered her head to inspect one of her firearms. Donned in Oracle Knight gear and a long crimson scarf she held dear, the God-General waited patiently for word of their next move.

Their latest arrival bearing news from her Commandant had yet to relay the message, instead opting to survey the room. She wondered briefly how much longer she would be made to wait. But if the other God-General was taking his time, then the orders must not be of vital importance.

"Legretta."

She tore her gaze from a scratch on the side of her gun, looking over to the side where the desk was. Behind the desk stood two dust-covered bookshelves, the books soggy and falling apart. Going through one of these books was a seemingly absent-minded boy, holding one of the decaying books between dark-gloved hands. Now he paused in his 'reading', fixing the God-General in the room along with him an inquiring look, green eyes curious.

"Do you know how to re-bind a book?"

Legretta continued to give him a questioning look. "Do those books interest you, Sync?"

Sync shrugged. "Not in particular." He carefully folded the book before slipping it beneath his cloak. "You wanted to know what Dist's message was from the Commandant, didn't you?"

"...Yes." Legretta focused her full attention on him. "What are we to do?"

"The Fon Master has managed to get away from Grand Maestro Mohs," Sync began to say, looking entirely uninterested. "It seems he was picked up by the Malkuth army and is now traveling in one of their landships. We are to find the Fon Master and capture him without harming a single hair on his body. Those are our orders."

"I see." Legretta thoughtfully eyed the young God-General. "Do you know where this Malkuth landship is at the moment?"

"One of Arietta's monsters caught sight of a Malkuth landship near the Cheagle Woods, heading in the direction of a market village some ways off," Sync responded. He picked his discarded mask from where it lay on top the cluttered desk, sliding it over top his face. He then began to walk to the door. "I'm sure you'll find the Fon Master there. He's traveling with his Fon Master Guardian and rumored to be with the Necromancer. I'd keep my eye out for them if I were you."

Legretta nodded. "Of course." She paused. "...Sync."

Sync paused near the door, looking over his shoulder. "What is it?"

"You're not coming with us to capture the Fon Master?"

"...No." Sync turned his head back around. "I have separate orders of my own. Be sure not to fail the Commandant." He left silently soon afterwards.

There was a brief silence in the room. The Legretta turned.

"What do you think of this?" she asked, sparing a young man hidden in the shadows a glance.

"...Nothing. We'll follow the Commandant's orders and capture Ion," he replied, voice young but rough, filled with drive but a hint of weariness. He pushed off the wall he had been leaning against, dressed in his own Oracle Knight garb which consisted of dark leggings and equally dark knee-length boots, lined with grey. The black jacket he wore over his thin Oracle armor was lined in an equal amount of grey, patterned in the gold symbols familiar on all Knight clothing, with its sleeves cut off and bound at the shoulders. Beneath this jacket, sporting coat tails, was a loose white shirt that fell to his wrists.

Legretta watched as he silently walked by and retrieved his dark fingerless gloves from the desk behind her, pulling them over his shirt sleeve to where they extended to his elbow, with cuffs of grey. "I still don't trust you," she said after a moment.

He smirked but it was far from amused. "You don't have to. Just know that I'm working for the Commandant for the time being," he replied.

Legretta's eyes grew sharp immediately. "For the time being?" she repeated.

He finished adjusting his gloves and reached for the final piece to his tedious ensemble. His treasured maestro sword. "Don't concern yourself with my business. The Commandant knows well enough I'm working with him only for personal gain."

The dimly lit room was silent for several minutes, Legretta studying the young man as he strapped his sheathed sword to his waist on his right side. After he finished, he turned to look at her, waiting for the words he knew were coming. Legretta didn't back away from his unnerving emerald stare, finding that his eyes were completely unreadable but at the same time, very open. She inwardly frowned at his stance which showed neither the means of starting a fight or the desire to leave. He was simply...waiting.

But for what, Legretta hadn't the single idea. It certainly wasn't for her answer, she knew that.

"...So long as you don't betray him," she said at long last. "Then we'll have no problems."

"I intended not to have any problems anyway," he answered. He gazed at the Commandant's right hand for another second before shifting his gaze to the door of the room. It swung open a moment later, revealing a baby liger with a crumpled note in between its sharp teeth. He walked over to the small beast, long crimson hair moving as he did. He held out his hand and crouched, allowing the liger to unclench its jaw and drop the note into his palm.

Legretta straightened up as his eyes moved to her. "What does it say?" she questioned.

"To rendevouz with Largo to lay seige to the Malkuth landship. It's called the Tartarus," he replied, standing up. He gave the baby liger a short nod and watched as it bounded straight back out of the room again.

"And what of Arietta?"

"She'll join us tomorrow morning. Her mother seems to be settling down somewhere in the Cheagle Woods to hatch her eggs. Arietta will come with her griffens and ligers once she makes sure that her mother is comfortable."

Legretta frowned. "And what does the Commandant think of this?"

He looked at her, smiling in a wholly disturbing manner. "He doesn't care so long as she carries out his orders in the end. Now let's quit wasting time. We don't want to leave Largo on his own for too long."

"...Yes." Legretta double-checked her gun holsters before following the younger man out the room and shutting the door behind her. She allowed him to walk several feet in front of her, not making any effort to pass him. She was by no means frightened of him, but rather wary. Though he had trained as a member of the Oracle Knights, risen to the rank of God-General, and was the Commander of Special Forces within the Order, she knew little else about him other than these facts. She hadn't expected Van to make a God-General out of him.

Not after all that had been done.

Legretta thought to herself that this was rather cruel of Van, but she rarely questioned him these days. She had devoted her life to the Commandant, put her faith in him and formed her ideals around his own. She hadn't the right to question his methods. Not after giving him every single ounce of trust in her body. But even so... Legretta's eyes landed on the back of the young man's head again.

It would have been better to kill him rather than let him live and suffer.

The young man before her stopped mid-step, smiling condescendingly as he looked over his shoulder at her. Legretta hadn't realized she had spoken this last bit aloud until he said, "You're right. There was the Commandant's second mistake."

Legretta looked at him, hiding her surprise. "What was the first?"

He smirked, eyes darkening. "Ever daring to lay a hand on me."

Legretta stopped walking, a hand tensing near her left weapon. "You plan to exact revenge?"

He turned his head back around and began moving along at an easy pace once more down the darkened hall. "Don't get too worked up. The 'embers of the sacred flame' won't strike at the Commandant." _Not_ _yet..._

* * *

By the time they made it to Engeve, the sun had risen to its highest peak at noon, and Tear was ready to put the two bickering brothers behind her to sleep with a fonic hymn. She had threatened them with it several times every time an argument seemed to start up, and they obediantly quieted down, only to start up again fifteen minutes later.

Tear concluded this was because they were forced to stay in each other's presence for such a long amount of time. From they way they were acting, they were accustomed to nothing but short insults and low blows to their second half's self-esteem- something that told her they had never really spent enough time with one another to have a civil conversation. It was then that she decided that much of their time in the manor was spent avoiding one another. Or maybe those inside the manor made of point of keeping them separated for as long as possible?

If this was the case, she could easily see why.

Tear walked under the small wooden arch leading into the bustling hamlet known as Engeve, pausing once she stood a couple feet in. She sighed in frustration, hearing the loud voices of the twins over her shoulder continuing to bicker about the small meal they had eaten along the way. A meal _she _had made but neither seemed to pay any attention to, fighting over their own cooking skills- or lack of.

"You should work on your cooking skills more," Luke snorted. "Because you don't have _any_."

"Shut up! You can't cook to save your life dreck!" Asch snapped, glaring fiercely at his younger brother.

"At least Natalia didn't throw my birthday cake out the window," Luke uttered, just as irritated as he stomped within Engeve's short walls. "It smelled horrible, looked horrible, and tasted even worse. I would've chucked the stupid thing too if you'd given it to me."

Asch's brows were low on his angered face. "You're an idiot," he said. He paused as if just realizing something. "You know what? That's it."

Luke looked at him skeptically. "What?"

"No wonder you're so stupid. You are what you eat after all."

"Oh yeah?" Luke challenged. "And what's that?"

"Trash!"

Luke scoffed. "Then _you _must eat a lot of-"

Tear fixed them with a severe look, effectively bringing their argument to a halt. "That's _enough_. We're in a public space now; with people who don't want to hear your childish bickering. Have the decency to control yourselves."

"Well _he _started it," they muttered in unison, not quite able to look her in the eye.

"You two act like a pair of children," Tear scolded. "Honestly, would it hurt to show some restraint?"

"It might kill this dreck here," Asch uttered, jabbing a thumb at his twin. "Not that I'm complaining."

"Same here!" Luke angrily exclaimed, folding his arms.

Tear sighed and turned away. "I give up."

Luke seemed to give up for the moment as well, his attention easily diverted from his older brother once he actually took in the land he was standing on. He was surprised by the vast amounts of stalls set up along the dirt roads, filled with colored fruits, fresh meat, and all sorts of vegetables he had never actually seen before. The air was filled with a warm, earth scent and rich soil. Luke would recognize this anywhere, having been around Pere long enough while the elderly man gardened.

"So this is Engeve?" he asked aloud.

"Yes." Tear scanned the area, wondering where a stall to possibly buy medicines was. She noticed, as Luke and Asch began to wander towards different stalls, that a decent-sized crowd had gathered near a building in the far back of the road they were on. She lowered her brows and headed in the direction, leaving the Fabre twins on their own. Was that an Inn perhaps...?

While she knew she was taking a great risk in doing this, she had faith that they wouldn't bother to leave on their own. Not even Luke was stupid enough to go trapezing out of the village on his own without a weapon.

Well- she hoped anyway.

Meanwhile, Asch had traveled through various market stands, sparing the contents piles on top short looks. Though some of the food was unrecognizable, he knew a vast majority of them and dishes that could be made with the ingredients. He thought back to the earlier argument with Luke and scowled fiercely, scaring off a pair of kids standing nearby. Ignoring them, Asch stomped to the next stall packed with rices and breads.

"Hey," he rudely said to the man working the stall. "How much does some rice cost?"

The man lifted both brows but responded all the same. "Three-hundred and twenty gald."

Asch scoffed and turned away. "Nevermind," he muttered to himself. His gaze roamed the other stalls surrounding him, but he quickly lost interest. Instead, he found a long, much more narrow, dirt path leading to a small cottage on top a grassy hill. It was quite a ways from what seemed to be the main market streets. Raising an eyebrow, Asch grudgingly started to walk the path.

Maybe it was an Inn. He hoped so. He was sick of walking and wanted a decent bed to lay in. Everyone else in the carriage had been asleep, so they hadn't seen the way that stranger, Arwin, had every limb digging into his ribs as he slept.

"They better have good beds here," Asch grumbled.

As Asch and Tear embarked on their short journeys to find what they _thought _was an Inn, Luke continued to wander throughout the dirt roads. He could see wide pastures in the distance surrounding the village and had the strong desire to go and see what it was like. He had thought that maybe this...Engeve place would be cool to look at, but there was nothing here but food!

"Man, this place blows," Luke depressingly sighed, hanging his head as he walked. No sooner had he said the words, then a loud, whispery voice called out to him.

"Hey... Hey mister!"

Luke paused mid-step, looking around him warily. The voice called again, although it seemed slightly more taunting than the first time.

"Get over here! We wanna talk to you!"

Luke made a face and turned to his left, seeing a small path leading to a wider, unused, looking road.

"Come in here mister," a voice urged again. "We have a surprise for you!"

Luke raised a brow and dismissed all red flags going off in his head, wandering over to the more secluded part of the market street where two young boys stood. They would have looked identical if it hadn't been for the two different shades of mussed hair they had on their small heads. Both dressed in trousers and loose cotton shirts, looking at him as he approached. Luke noticed that one of the boys looked absolutely excited while the other looked skeptical.

"My name's John," the dark-haired boy introduced himself. "This is my bestest friend... Evan!" he tugged on the sleeve of the second boy next to him.

The brown-haired boy beside the first scanned Luke with a critical eye before turning away and crossing his arms. "You're dressed weird."

Luke immediately glared at him, insulted. "Excuse me?"

"Aw, don't listen to him," John said with a large smile. "That's how he greets everyone!" The young boy brought his hands out from behind his back, revealing a large, juicy red apple. "You want this?"

Luke stared. "What?"

"It's an apple," Evan helpfully supplied.

"I know that!" Luke snapped at him. "But why are you offering it to _me_?"

John continued to smile, apple still held out in between them. "Well my mom is trying to sell some apples she's home grown in our backyard. They're really good you know! The problem is, no one in the village knows about it except me and Evan's family. They all continue to buy from the guy who runs the fruit stand near the front of our village! My mom's poor efforts are going to waste..." John visibly deflated before perking up and looking eagerly at Luke. "So I thought that maybe if I start handing some apples out, people will notice and start buying from my mom! Try this apple and tell me you haven't tasted one better!"

Luke took a step back from the intensity of the boy's eagerness. "W-Well..."

John looked at him pleadingly. "Please?"

"...Aargh! Alright fine," Luke snatched the apple up. _Stupid kid begging... _he gruffly thought. He shifted the apple to his left hand and then took a giant bite, his stomach rumbling loudly. He hadn't realized how hungry he was up until now. His brows flew high on his forehead. "Hey, this apple is pretty good."

"Of course it is," Evan said, a smirk that no child his age shoulder have been wearing, on his face. "All the food we grow here is shipped world-wide. That's how good our food is! Shouldn't you know something like this?"

Luke flushed in partial embarrassment. "S-Shut up! What are you two doing just standing here anyway?"

Evan's smirk grew. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

A nerve snapped, Luke having the strong desire to smack the boy over the head. "Brat," he uttered.

John was oblivious to his friend's antics, fixing Luke with a bright-eyed stare. "I ran away from home!" he merrily said.

"What? What did you run away for?" Luke asked, bewildered. _And why does he sound so happy about it? _

"So that we can go meet up with my dad," John nodded his head as if to assure himself. "He left a couple of months ago and hasn't come back from his job right now. I want to see him 'cause I miss him. I know my mom does too. She's always worrying about him even though he's working hard!"

Luke took several more bites from the apple. He really _was _hungry... "Well where is he now?"

"My dad is in Akzeriuth right now," John proudly said. "He's helping to get out some valuable minerals. Maybe he'll get to bring some back for us if he can!"

"Akzeriuth?" Luke's expression was blank. "What's that?"

"It's a mining city," John helpfully informed him. 'Lots of different people go there from all over to work there."

Evan turned away, casting Luke a sly look. "You really don't know anything, do you?"

Luke resisted the urge to pull him into a rough headlock. "Little brat..." he twitchingly smiled, ticked off.

"What are you two doing?" an exasperated, yet motherly voice questioned. "You're not causing trouble, are you?"

John and Evan turned to face an approaching woman, identical smiles on their faces. "No," they innocently chirped. Luke wasn't sure what disturbed him more. The synchronized movements of the brats as they went to hug the woman, or the fact that Evan had just spoken in a sugar-coated tone of voice.

"Don't lie to me," the woman chided. "I know you've been up to no good." She moved out of their small embrace gently and then looked to Luke, somewhat apologetic in her expression. Dark brown hair, that fell to her shoulders in a curved cut, hung around her pale face delicately. Luke was surprised to feel reminded of his own mother as he stared at her, and had to avert his gaze.

"Uh..." was all he got out.

The woman laughed. "Don't look so nervous. I didn't come here to _scold _you." She thoughtfully looked him over. "You're not from here, are you? Are you a traveler?"

Luke scratched the back of his neck with his free hand, the apple suddenly feeling heavy in his left one. "Yeah..."

"Well it's nice to meet you. My name is Miriam," she introduced herself. "I know our village doesn't look like much compared to some of the places you must have traveled to, but I hope your stay here is still enjoyable."

"It...is," Luke said, unable to say what he really thought of the village to this woman's face.

"I see you're preoccupied," Miriam noted, though not unkindly. "I'll leave you to your business. I hope my boy and his friend didn't disturb you too much."

"They didn't," Luke lied again. He shot Evan a glower when Miriam turned her gaze, met with a blown raspberry.

"It was nice to meet you," Miriam said. She grabbed a hold of her son, John's, hand and turned, beginning to walk away.

"Well I've got to go now," John cheerfully said, waving as he was dragged off. " Enjoy your apple, okay? I'll see you later!"

Luke could do nothing but stare after the kid, unsure as to whether he should have waved back or responded with a 'Yeah'. After all, it wasn't like he'd actually see the kid again. They were going to leave in the morning.

Evan stayed behind a little longer, if only to kick Luke in the shin and run off. "Later weirdo!" he called behind him.

"Ouch!" Luke hopped on one foot, contemplating whether or not to chuck the apple he held at the little brat's head. In the end he decided against it. He'd probably miss and end up hitting some poor passerby instead. Growling, Luke straightened up. He barely had time to formulate his next homicidal thought before several pairs of heavy footsteps came running around from around the street corner behind him. Luke turned, just in time to find himself surrounding by a group of infuriated men, drenched in sweat.

"Hey!" one of them shouted. "He's got one of your stolen apples Fin!"

Fin, a smaller but equally angry man, dressed in a worker's apron, pointed accusingly at Luke. "Don't bother trying to run now! Where are the rest of the apples and fruits you stole?"

"What?" Luke blinked, looking down at the half-eaten apple in his hand. "Wait a second," he frowned. "This isn't-"

One of the men surrounding him, lunged, grabbing him by the hair. Four others, including Fin, latched onto his arms, beginning to haul him off.

"Hey! Let go of me!" Luke shouted. "What do you think you're doing?"

"We're taking you to Rose's house, thief!" one of the men barked. "She'll deal with you!"

"I'm not a thief! Ow!" Luke's yells fell on deaf ears, the grip on his hair tightening. He inwardly seethed, promising revenge on those little punks Evan and John as soon as he got free. John was a trickster beneath his innocent facade.

* * *

Tear had just found where the Inn was located near the back of the village, when a group of men paraded past, hauling a familiar redhead with them. She blinked several times as did the other villagers and merchants in the streets. _What in the world...? _she thought to herself. She quickly moved away from the Inn to inconspiculously follow after the group, wondering where exactly they were taking Luke.

A fairly long trip of a steep dirt hill later, Tear and the five men carrying Luke, arrived at the front of a comfortable looking wooden house. And standing by the entrance of the cottage was yet another familiar redhead, about to knock on the door. He turned at the ruckus behind him, raising a brow once he saw who it was.

"Oh great. What did the dreck do now?"

"Shut up Asch!" Luke snapped. He tore himself away from his captors and their reaching hands, trying and failing to move out of their range of snatching. He failed and ended up being shoved into his older brother by the biggest of the five men. With a startled shout, both he and Asch tumbled backwards into the door of the cottage, knocking it open and tumbling ungracefully to the floor inside.

The five men harrumphed and stalked in after them. Still unnoticed, and sighing in exasperation, Tear followed them inside.

"Rose!" one of the men shouted. "We've caught him! We've caught the food thief!"

Asch pushed his younger brother away from him and got to his feet, shooting both the men and Luke a dirty look. "This is why we can't leave you on your own. You go off and do stupid stuff like this and drag everyone else into it. You could have eaten a rock if you were hungry, idiot!"

"Shut up!" Luke scowled and climbed to his feet, brushing himself off. "I'm not a food thief dammit!"

"Don't even try to deny it!" Fin shouted at him. "You had one of my apples!"

"You have no proof!" Luke angrily shouted back. He had dropped the apple on the road as he was dragged to this stupid cottage. Damn... and it was a good apple too.

"What do all of you think you're doing?" a stern, woman's voice said over them all. Everyone's eyes turned to the center of the cottage where a stout woman stood, a yellow bandana tied around auburn hair, and hands set on her wide waist. "We have a very important guest here! You're all acting like a bunch of wild animals!"

"But Rose-" Fin started to say.

"Hush," Rose turned a scrutinizing eye over the crowd, her gaze locking onto the boy they had accused of theft. "What is this all about?"

Luke folded his arms and looked away. "I didn't steal anything," was all he said.

Fin grew worked up all over again. "Yes you-!"

"Fin!" Rose sharply said.

"My my, this is quite the commotion," an amused voice spoke from behind Rose. All eyes shifted to over the woman's shoulder to the tall man standing there, his arms behind his straightened back, and a smile on his pale face. His red eyes glinted from beneath his glasses and he tilted his head to the side to study both Luke and Asch, his golden brown hair moving with him.

"What do we have here?" he asked. "Twins?"

"Unfortunately," Asch uttered.

"What's it to you?" Luke snottishly asked.

"Luke," Tear hissed, coming up behind him. "Don't be so rude. He looks like a soldier."

"Actually, I'm a Colonel," the man said, still smiling.

Tear flushed in embarrassment and looked at him. "O-Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's quite alright," the man said. "It's not as if I intro-"

"What the-!" Luke moved to the side in surprise, cutting the speaking man off. "When did you get here?"

"I saw you getting hauled off and wanted to know what you had gotten yourself into," Tear answered, looking vaguely annoyed. "Now quit interrupting people who are trying to speak."

"That's quite alright," the same man from before assured her, eyeing Luke somewhat sardonically. "I'm used to dealing with..._children _such as this."

"C-Children?" Luke sputtered as Asch snorted.

The man faced Tear fully, his smile growing wider. "I'm Colonel Jade Curtiss, Third Division of the Malkuth Imperial Forces. And who might you be? You don't seem to be from around here."

Luke made a face at the Colonel and began to say, "My name is Luke fo-" Asch 'accidentally' kicked his twin in the leg. Yelping lightly, Luke turned to glower at his older brother. "What was that for?" he demanded.

Asch smirked at him. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Luke's left eye twitched as he was suddenly reminded of a much younger, but equally annoying little brat by the name of Evan. Luke rolled up an imaginary sleeve and started to stomp towards Asch. "Alright jerk-face-"

"Enough," Tear grabbed Luke by the back of his jacket, eyes closed in annoyance. She waited until Luke stopped tugging out of her grasp before looking to Colonel. "I'm sorry," she said. "My name is Tear. This is Luke and he is Asch," she motioned to each redhead as she spoke. "I don't know what Luke did exactly, but I'm sure he isn't a thief."

"Yeah right!" Fin yelled from near the doorway. "He had one of my apples. I bet he's a part of the Dark Wings! I bet you _all _are the Dark Wings!'"

Tear faced him with a frown. "Those are heavy accusations. We're not the Dark Wings."

"Oh?" Jade lifted his head, looking at her amused. "But if you haven't any proof..."

"Hey," Asch said, shooting the Colonel a poor look. "We're not bandits four-eyes. I'm getting sick of everyone calling us that."

"Asch!" Tear looked at him, affronted.

Asch shrugged. "What?"

"Don't address the Colonel so rudely!"

Luke scoffed and kicked at the wooden floor. "Why? It's what he is..."

Tear shifted her angry gaze onto him. "Luke!" She looked at Jade with a very flustered expression. "I'm so very sorry. They're a little..."

"No, no, I understand perfectly," Jade said, pushing his glasses higher up on the bridge of his nose. He looked off to the side, smirking slightly. "Children do have a tendency to be ignorant and untrained." He ignored the identical glowers from the redheads and continued on to say, "Now about the matter of thievery..."

"We saw the direction the real Dark Wings went in," Tear said, trying her best not to frown at the hint of mocking in the Colonel's voice. "They were chased across Rotelro Bridge by Malkuth forces. Our coach was forced to pull over to the side as it happened."

"Ah," Jade's eyes lit up. "So you were the ones in that coach..."

Rose, finally able to get a word in amongst the commotion, looked in between Jade and the three travelers in confusion. "What's all this about?"

"Nothing of importance," Jade said, his gaze flickering to meet Rose's. "I can assure you, however, that these three are not a part of the Dark Wings."

"But one of them _did _steal my apple," Fin said, undeterred and not willing to drop the subject. "And not just one. A whole bunch of them are gone- along with my other fruits!" He pointedly looked at Luke.

Luke noticed and gave him an offended look. "Are you still saying it was me?"

Fin harrumphed. "Yeah!"

"These people aren't your food thieves," a calm voice said from behind them.

Everyone turned towards the doorway to Rose's house. Standing in the middle, donned in pale green robes of the Order of Lorelei with equally pale green eyes but rich forest green hair, was a young boy. His skin was pale, not as pale as Jade's, but still held a somewhat sickly sheen.

Rose's brows flew high on her head. "Fon Master?" she incredulously asked.

Tear and Asch's eyes turned to slits. _Fon Master? _they thought. Luke on the other hand, didn't seem to be paying attention, locked in a battle of wills against the fruit stand merchant, Fin.

"Ion," Jade looked at him thoughtfully. "Where have you been?"

The young boy walked forward and held out a hand, depositing a tuft of fur into Rose's outstretched hand as he looked at Jade and replied, "I kept hearing about the thefts happening in the area and went to visit a storehouse that had recently been raided. I found this piece of fur inside."

Rose analyzed the fur with a sharp eye. "This is cheagle fur," she said.

"Yes." The boy nodded his head. "I believe that cheagles are the ones who have been raiding your food stores."

"But why...?" Rose looked utterly baffled. "Cheagles have always been peaceful. I know there have been more monsters around the village outskirts as of late. Maybe they're disrupting something within the Cheagle Woods? What do you think, Fon Master?"

"I'm not sure," he replied, lowering his gaze. "I'm sorry. I'll do my best to figure out why."

Rose shook her head firmly. "Don't you worry about it Fon Master. We'll figure this out together."

The boy lifted his head and smiled kindly at her. "Okay then."

"Right," Rose gave a single firm nod and then looked to everyone else in her cottage. "Now I have some very important matters to discuss with the Fon Master and Colonel. The rest of you head on back down. We'll sort out everything here."

"But my apples..." Fin muttered.

"Drop it already!" Luke snapped at him.

"Yes, please do Fin," Rose said before any more arguments could start up. "I'm sure this was all just a misunderstanding. You're not the only one who grows apples around here."

Fin gruffly folded his arms. "Yeah, I guess..."

"Good. Let's all settle down then and get back to what we were doing beforehand," Rose said with a bit more cheer. The group of five men, including Fin, still looked ruffled at the edges, but trailed one-by-one out the door anyway.

Tear politely bowed to Rose, the Fon Master, and Colonel. "We apologize for the trouble," she said.

"No worries," Rose kindly said. "You all just run along now."

"Whatever," Luke mumbled, already heading for the open door. "Let's just get out of here."

Tear followed after him with another bow to the three important figures in front of her, ready to give the younger redhead a good scolding for being so blatantly rude. She didn't notice that Asch hadn't joined them. At least not yet.

"Yes? Is there something you need?" Ion asked, wondering why the redhead was staring at him so seriously.

"Fon Master..." Asch started to say. Then he noticed Jade looking at him with an unreadable expression and inwardly blanched. He worked his jaw for a couple of moments and then shook his head. "No- nevermind." He turned and left the cottage, feeling unnerved. Behind him he heard Jade comment:

"Well I wonder what _that_ was all about."

Asch scowled to himself. _Damn four-eyes... _He caught up with Tear and his younger brother easily halfway down the road.

Tear cast him a short look. "What were you doing?"

"Nothing," Asch uttered.

"_Sure_," Luke sarcastically uttered back.

"Shut up dreck!"

Tear held a hand to her chin in deep thought as they walked down the hill together, Luke the most disgruntled of the bunch. "This was strange... Why was Fon Master Ion here?" she asked.

Luke did a double-take. "Fon Master!"

Asch looked at her as they both ignored his stupid twin. "Van said he was missing."

"What?" Tear seemed surprised. "I haven't heard any rumors like that."

"Hmph." Asch turned his gaze round front. "Well they're out there all right..." he muttered. "Where are we going anyway?"

"The Inn," Tear replied, still looking distracted. "I located it before I saw Luke being dragged off."

"I wasn't dragged off," Luke protested from behind them.

"Yes you were," Asch shot over his shoulder. "It's only a shame they weren't dragging your dead carcass up that hill instead."

"Shut up!" Luke folded his arms across his chest as they began weaving through Engeve's market streets once again. "Anyway, I wanna find out why that Fon Master was here. Let's go back and ask him."

Tear exhaled lightly. "Why would we do that?" she questioned.

"To see what he's doing here!" Luke exclaimed as if it should have been obvious.

"No." Tear led them to a small Inn at the far end of the dirt road they were on. "He looked as if he had important business to discuss with Rose and the Colonel."

"But what if something weird's going on?" Luke persisted. "Master Van wouldn't be sent out on a whim!"

Asch raised a brow. "Since when do you know words like 'whim'?"

"Shut up!"

"There's nothing we can do about it," Tear said before pushing open the Inn door and walking inside. Asch followed her with a haughty look over his shoulder, sneering at his twin. Grumbling, Luke stalked in after them, shutting the door with a slight slam. He opened his mouth to complain to the both of them, but stopped when he noticed that they were focused on the small figure of a young girl at the Inn's front desk.

They could only see her from the back, but Tear recognized the familiar black Oracle symbols on the white overhang the girl wore over her shoulders. Her thick brown hair was pulled into twin ponytails, tied with bright yellow ribbons. She sounded fairly upset and annoyed as she spoke with the Innkeeper.

"Are you _sure _you haven't seen a kid like that around?" she asked. "Short, kinda out-of-it, likes to wander off without telling anyone," she added in a small grumble.

"Sorry," the Innkeeper apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was out of the Inn for a while, so I didn't see if anyone came through."

The brunette turned from the desk, a glower on her small features. "Hmph. I'll teach that Ion a thing or two about running off on his own..." she muttered. She would have kept her heavy trudge up out of the Inn, but she suddenly found herself coming to a halt and looking up at three strangers in front of the her. She gasped, a hand flying to her mouth as she noticed one was a woman and the other two were male.

"The Dark Wings?" she exclaimed.

Asch glared at her. "We're not the Dark Wings," he snapped, eyes flashing.

The girl shrugged and dropped her hand. "Just kidding. You don't look like you'd be a very good bandit anyway~" she giggled just to irritate him.

Sure enough, Asch's glare intensified. "Shut up!" he barked at her.

She grinned. "Ooh~ I made you even angrier! Someone needs to take his anti-rage pills," she taunted.

Luke snickered into the back of his wrist. "Finally someone else agrees with me," he uttered.

The girl turned her large brown eyes to the younger redhead. "Wow! You look just like-"

Luke sighed, cutting her off. "Yeah, I know. It sucks," he said.

The girl sympathetically eyed him. "I bet it does. This guy looks like a kill-joy," she uttered.

"Tell me about it!" Luke agreed, brows furrowing.

Tear inwardly rolled her eyes. "Luke..."

Asch shifted his glare onto his stupid twin. "Congratulations dreck. You finally made a friend- an eight year old girl," he shot.

The girl made a face. "Booo! I'm not eight!

Asch made a face right back at her, though it was much more menacing. "Sorry- I meant five."

This time Tear really did roll her eyes, exasperated. "That's enough Asch." She looked at the young girl. "You mentioned the Fon Master. Were you looking for him?" she questioned.

"Yeah~!" the girl eagerly said, leaning towards Tear. "Where'd you see Ion?"

Luke's eyes widened in surprise as he finally registered the conversation. "You know the Fon Master? Are you friends or something?"

"You could say we are," the girl said with a wide grin. Her attention moved to Tear again. "Is Ion close by?"

Tear looked over her shoulder as if envisioning where the Fon Master was beyond the closed Inn door. "Yes. If you're looking for him then he's in Rose's house."

"Really? Thanks a bunch!" the girl cheerfully said, shooting past them.

"Hey, wait a-!" Luke's cry fell on deaf ears.

The trio watched as the energetic girl dashed out the Inn, varying expressions of curiosity and annoyance on their faces.

"Dang it," Luke mumbled. "I could have asked her why the stupid Fon Master was here..."

Asch made a scathing noise in the back of his throat. "Call yourself stupid, not the Fon Master. He's worth more than _you'll _ever be."

"Shut up jerk-face!"

Tear tuned out the sibling's bickering, turning her gaze to an undisturbed broad man in the corner of the Inn lobby double-checking his cart of weapons, medicines, and armor. She thoughtfully eyed the supplies.

"How much gald do we have?" she asked aloud.

Asch and Luke ceased their argument and faced her. "Why?" Luke questioned.

But Asch saw the merchant and cut off the answer Tear would have given his stupid twin, instead saying, "I have none and neither does the dreck over here. If we didn't have any last night, what makes you think we'd have some now?"

Tear narrowed her eyes at him. "You might have found some lying around on the streets here."

"As if I'd pick dirty coins up off the ground," Asch uttered, although truth be told, he _had _been keeping an eye out for any loose change a passing villager might have dropped.

"Hey!" Luke suddenly exclaimed, running over to the merchant. His emerald eyes were locked on a shiny cutlass. He turned and looked at Tear with a wide grin. "Look! We can get this sword for me!"

"Why would we do that?" Asch scoffed. "You'll probably just cut your hand off."

Luke scowled. "No I wouldn't."

"Ignoring Asch's comment," Tear started to say as she looked at the younger redhead, "it would be unwise to buy you a new sword but no medicine. I think we should stock up on some just in case."

Luke looked thoroughly put out. "But-"

The merchant, sporting round spectables and a small beard, looked in between the group, taking in their clothing and weapon sheaths they wore. His eyes lit up and he eagerly said, "You three are travelers, correct?"

Luke suspiciously eyed him. "What's it to you?"

Asch rolled his eyes and pushed his twin out the way. "Yeah, we are. Got any good deals?"

"Luke, Asch!" Tear sharply said. She couldn't believe how rude they were behaving!

The merchant only chuckled and answered Asch's question. "I sure do. You came at a good time. I just got a good stock of traveling packs and pouches from Grand Chokmah before I traveled down here."

"Traveling packs?" Asch lifted a brow.

"Yup." The merchant turned and rummaged through his piles of armor and weapons, pulling out a decent-looking black leather bag. He held it up for his prospective three customers to see. "They're lightweight and can be strapped around the back, shoulder, or waist. They may look small, but they can actually hold a surprising amount of items. And each pack you purchase comes with several medicine gels."

"Interesting..." Asch muttered, taking the pack out of the merchant's hands and running a scrutinizing eye over it.

Tear also studied the bag. "How much would they cost?" she questioned.

"Only three-thousand gald per person. Not bad, huh?" the merchant said, egging them to buy the item with his shining eyes.

Asch turned to Tear. "How much gald do you have?"

Tear looked at him with a slight frown. "Only eleven-thousand," she replied.

"Hmph." Asch muttered something inaudible under his breath before saying, "When we get back to the ma- I mean _home_," he gruffly corrected himself, "we'll pay you back. We'll pay you for that pendant too... Is that alright with you?"

Tear was startled. "Y-Yes. But you don't have to pay me for the pen-"

"Don't be stupid," Asch interrupted. "Why the hell _wouldn't _I pay you back for that?"

Tear quieted. Asch certainly was thoughtful when she least expected it... "Then, I- I suppose it's alright," she said.

"Good." Asch moved his gaze to the merchant's expectant one again. "We'll buy them."

The merchant grinned. "How many? Three?"

During this entire exchange, Luke stood behind his twin and Tear, listening to their conversation, trying not to grow too irritated by the merchant's underlying persistance. But now he was bored and felt left out once again. He should have gotten a sword so he could defend himself! What were they going to do with a bunch of useless packs? Although...

Luke brought a hand to the inside of his jacket, feeling for the small book inside. He had almost forgotten about his diary, what with everything that had happened. To be honest, he was surprised the leather journal had stayed inside throughout Tataroo Valley. He would need to write in it later on. Maybe buying _one _pack for him to keep the diary safely in wouldn't be so bad...

Faintly in the background, he could hear Tear, Asch, and the merchant exchanging gald for three packs. Those two really liked to do things without him. It was annoying! He had thought that maybe Tear wasn't as bad as he thought when they first met, but she was easily following Asch when it came to ignoring and keeping him out of the loop. Luke grumbled under his breath at the thought and abruptly turned, heading for the Inn exit.

He didn't want to be around Asch and Tear is all he was going to be was a _third wheel_.

Tear noticed Luke start to walk off and frowned, looking after him. "Where are you going?" she asked, loud enough for him to hear.

Luke didn't bother to look back, waving a hand. "Out. Don't follow me."

Tear's frown grew deeper. "Don't wander too far off. Especially not outside the village-"

"Yeah, I _got _it!" Luke snapped, pausing in the doorway. "What are you, my _mom_? Sheesh..." He left the Inn in a minor fit.

Tear was a bit surprised by the anger the younger redhead showed. What had he been so upset about? He seemed perfectly fine until they entered the Inn. Her brows lowered. Don't tell her... Luke wasn't throwing a tantrum because he didn't get the sword he wanted, was he? The very idea made her cringe. Luke wasn't _that _immature, right? Asch's voice broke her out of her wandering thoughts.

"Forget about that moron," he said. "He'll come back eventually."

Tear sighed. "I know he will. I'm more concerned about what he'll do."

Asch smirked. "Who cares. He'll probably get himself in trouble."

Tear brought a hand to her head. "I hope not."

Little did they know, they just down the road near Rose's house, that was exactly what the younger of the Fabre twins was doing. Nearly a half an hour had passed since Luke left the Inn, and he wondered if he'd be stuck alone for the rest of the night until they left the following morning. But he found that wasn't the case, and he was quickly joined by a much younger, energetic boy.

"Ha!" Luke triumphantly crowed. "Now who's superior?"

Evan swung his fists in vain at him, not coming even close to making contact. "Just you wait! I'll get you!"

Luke laughed at him again and sidestepped as the young boy tried to tackle him. He had been wrestling and playing around with Evan ever since leaving the Inn. It took his mind off of the strange matters of the Fon Master and gave him time away from annoying Asch and overbearing Tear. He was filthy from rolling around on the dirt roads and grass, but somehow he didn't mind. He was...enjoying himself.

Out here in Engeve, no one knew who he really was. And though it irritated him at first that they didn't know he was royalty and held more status than anyone else in the village besides the Fon Master and those he traveled with, his irritation soon faded away into something akin to relief. No one knew who he was, so no one would call him names or try to avoid him like the plague.

They wouldn't call him an ill-omen.

Here he was just an annoying redhead stranger with a big mouth who stole an apple and played around like a little kid. Luke wasn't sure this was a good thing, but to him, it was better than being looked at as an abomination to the Score. So...Luke supposed this place wasn't a _complete _dud.

"Uurgh! You cheater!" Evan's cry broke him out of his trailing thoughts.

Luke harrumphed and held out a hand, holding the struggling boy back by the forehead. "Whatever! Don't get angry just because you're not fast enough to get away from me!"

"You just have freakishly long legs!" Evan taunted, grinning broadly.

"What was that?" Luke felt a nerve under his eye twitch.

Evan opened his mouth to respond, but their banter was interrupted by a familiar dark-haired woman running up to them, looking distressed. Both Luke and Evan blinked, stepping away from one another to face her. "Miriam?" Luke asked, bewildered.

"Hey," Evan started to say, small brow creasing in worry. "What's wrong?"

"Oh... it's terrible," Miriam said, holding her hands before her mouth, vision beginning to blur as the corner of her eyes swelled with tears. "I-It's John."

Evan tilted his head to the side as he peered up at the older woman, the mention of his best friend's name catching his attention immediately. "John? What happened to him?"

"He's gone!" Miriam blurted, covering her face. "I don't know why- but one of the other boys said he left the village. There are monsters everywhere! He's just a boy- he can't protect himself!"

Luke frowned hearing these words. _Unable to protect himself...huh... _

"Well we've got to go get him," Evan said, determined. "Come on- let's go!"

Miriam's eyes widened and she quickly reached out to stop the young boy from racing away. "No! You can't go out there either. It's much too dangerous!"

Evan looked baffled. "But we can't just _leave _John!"

Miriam lowered her head. "I...I know that. But..."

"Hey-" Luke stepped forward, a heavy frown marring his features. "Where exactly did that little brat go?"

* * *

In the farthest room in the back of Engeve's humble in, sat Tear on a middle bed with two more on either side of her. The sun had lowered considerably in the sky, and as she glanced out the window just behind her head, she was able to see the villagers closing their food stands and preparing to turn in for the night. Tear smiled to herself as she caught sight of a group of kids running past the window, laughing and shoving at each other playfully. Closing her eyes and turning away, Tear moved her bladed staff onto her lap and began to run her fingers over its sharp point.

It was definitely peaceful in Engeve and the people inside were nice, and very hard workers. The Innkeeper was kind enough to let them stay the night for free, as payment for the commotion caused in Rose's house. If she weren't on a mission and had free time, she would have liked to enjoy a long walk around the village. There were such cute rappigs all around...

Tear's smile grew the smallest bit and she opened her eyes, cheeks dusted pink.

At the moment, Asch had followed several of the other village men to a large well of water towards the outskirts of Engeve to wash up. It was far from what Asch was used to, and he made a point to say it before leaving the Inn- but he'd rather bathe the 'savage' way than to remain covered in dirt and sweat. Tear told him that most people didn't have luxurious baths like he his twin did, but Asch was quick to haughtily mention that Luke was given the equivalent of a servant's bathroom, though he didn't give reasons why.

Speaking of the younger redhead...

Tear wondered idly where he had gotten off to. He had left the Inn so suddenly without mentioning where he was going. Well- it was none of her concern. So long as he came back by the end of the night and didn't wander out of Engeve's walls.

She would enjoy the peace she had now, while Asch and Luke were out, and not bickering in her ear.

Her little peace was quickly shattered; a determined redhead bursting into the room not a moment later.

"Tear!"

Tear looked up at him and stopped fiddling with her staff, forcing the blush on her face to vanish. "What is it Luke?" She noticed his face was covered in smudges of dirt, along with clothing, and that his hair stuck up more than it usually did; a twig stuck in his front bang.

"Tear!" Luke urgently said again.

"What happened to you?" Tear asked, mildly concerned.

Luke shook his head at her, pausing mid-step. "Nothing. I was just playing with some kids by Rose's place... but that doesn't matter now!"

Growing more alarmed as Luke showed no signs of calming down, Tear straightened her shoulders and said, "Is something going on?"

"Yeah! It's really bad! He's gone missing!" Luke hurried towards her, looking oddly upset.

"...Who?"

"John, _John_," Luke impatiently said, stopping in front of her bed. He leaned over, unintentionally getting in her face. "He's not here."

"Sit down," Tear ordered, not bothering to lean back. Luke did as told. Tear set her staff down on the floor and rubbed her brow lightly before focusing her attention on the antsy redhead on the bed across from hers. "Alright. Tell me what's going on- and speak clearly."

Luke looked agitated, bouncing his knees as he talked. "There was this kid I ran into earlier, before I got dragged off to Rose's house and we met that jerk-face Colonel guy. He was a real punk, getting me into trouble and arrested, but he was actually kind of cool and his mom is actually nice and-"

"Luke, I said speak _clearly_," Tear exasperatedly admonished. "I can't understand a word you're saying."

"He's missing, Tear," Luke said, ignoring her as if she hadn't spoken. "Miriam said he went to the Cheagle Woods, but they don't know why he went in there."

Tear lowered her head as the words processed. "Oh. I see..."

"Tear!" Luke exclaimed when she didn't bother to say anything more on the matter. "We have to do something!"

"And what good would it do us to get involved in this?"

"...What?"

"The Cheagle Woods are dangerous," Tear told him, finally looking up to gaze at him. "Monsters have been prowling the area as of late. You heard what Rose and Colonel Curtiss said. It's possible that the boy is already-"

"Shut up! How can you be so cold?" Luke angrily asked her.

Tear merely fixed him with a voice icier than her expression. "The consequences of getting involved in this could be ones you don't like or aren't ready to take responsibility for. What if a monster _did _get to him? Will you be the one to tell his mother and friends that he won't be coming back? Can you handle their anger, grief, and tears?... The answer is no."

"I don't care," Luke resolutely responded, brows furrowed and lips twisted. He pushed the brief images of Evan and Miriam that slashed through his head, out. "You can stay here if you want, but _I'm _going to find that little punk."

"Don't be ridiculous Luke," Tear replied, frowning. "You don't even have a weapon. What can you possibly hope to do?"

Luke flushed an embarrassed red. "S-Shut up! I'll do it! You'll see!"

"Hey," Asch said, walking into the room from outside where he had washed himself off. "Shut the hell up dreck. There are other people trying to sleep in this place you know."

"Whatever," Luke crossed his arms and slumped on his bed, looking utterly rejected.

Asch rolled his eyes and went to his own bed in the small bedroom, wiping the remaining water off his neck with his borrowed towel. "What are we doing tomorrow? Heading for that Kaitzur Naval Port, right?" he questioned Tear.

Tear spared Luke only one glance before nodding. "Yes. That would be the _smart _choice."

"That's the cold-hearted, uncaring, selfish, _annoying _choice," Luke uttered in response, though it was clearly heard by both of the others.

Tear shot him a sharp look. "There's nothing selfish or annoying about it," she tightly said. "I have a duty to see you back to your manor. That won't get done if you get caught up in business that's not even yours."

"It _is _mine!" Luke obnoxiously snapped. He made a face at her before beginning to rummage through the brand-new traveling pack on the edge of his bed. He started to pull out his diary, mumbling profanities under his breath.

"What are you two talking about?" Asch asked, brows lifting as he took in both of their foul moods.

"Luke wants to stay here tomorrow," Tear replied.

"Really? You're welcome to live out here by yourself for the rest of your life, you know," Asch told him.

"Shut up! That stupid kid John went off into the woods by himself!" Luke heatedly answered. "And Miriam said there were monsters and stuff out there. So I told Tear we should go and get him before something happens."

Asch blinked slowly at him. "And why should we do that?"

Luke scowled at him. "Are you and Tear _both _heartless? He's all by himself out there!"

"And whose fault is that?" Asch said, shrugging off his jacket and letting it drop to the floor. "I want nothing more than to get back to Baticul and be left on my own. Far, _far _away from you."

"But-"

"You're the one who wanted to be back in your manor anyway," Tear cut him off, gaze stern. "You can't change your mind on a whim."

"Yeah dreck," Asch jeered. "You can't."

Luke aburptly stood, marching for the bedroom door. "You two are impossible- I swear! Fine! Sit here by yourselves and be jerk-faces if you want!"

"Throwing a temper tantrum won't get you anywhere, idiot," Asch smirked.

"Shut up!"

"Luke!" Tear sharply said. "Where do you think you're going?"

"You shut up too!" Luke continued to stomp towards the exit, a leather bound book she hadn't noticed before gripped in a clenched fist. "I'm going out for some peace and quiet!"

Tear stood from her bed as if she were going to follow him. "Don't even think about-"

"I'm not! Sheesh!" Luke made a face at her before leaving, making sure to slam the door behind him.

Tear turned to the redhead left in the room. "Asch..."

"Leave him alone," Asch dismissively said, peeling his gloves off and adding them to where he jacket was crumpled by his feet. "The moron won't go anywhere. The most he'll do is find a corner to sit in and cry while writing in his diary."

Tear raised her brows and slowly sat back on her bed. "Diary?"

Asch raised his brows right back at her. "You want to know why he keeps one, ask the dreck later. I have no idea why and I don't care," he responded.

Tear's eyes traveled to the closed bedroom door, as if waiting for Luke to walk back in. But several minutes passed and the door remained shut. Sighing, Tear looked away and reached to turn off the lamp on the desk in between her and Asch's bed. "Luke will try and get us to go to the Woods with him tomorrow morning again..." she murmured.

"Don't be stupid," Asch snorted as he laid down and the room was swallowed in shadows. "That dreck is such an idiot he'll probably forget how he even got here come morning."

"...I hope you're right," was all Tear said.

"Of course I'm right!" Asch retorted. "Now good_night._"

* * *

It was late and blanketed in darkness, the moon casting a silvery blanket onto the wooden planks that made up the small room of Engeve's Inn. The window to the room hung open, the sounds of insects and the cries of prowling monsters beyond the town's boundaries drifting into the room in rising and fading waves. Sleeping peacefully in the bed closest to the window was Tear, her long hair splayed against the pillow and a bare hand clutching her bladed staff tightly. Her gloves were carefully folded on a small stand in between her bed and Asch's.

Luke watched her for a moment longer, suspiciously, as if she would wake at any second. When he was positive that both she _and _his stupid twin was dead asleep, he rose from where he sat on the edge of his bed and grabbed his sword sheath. He realized he had nothing to put inside it, and though he had a strong urge to just steal Asch's, his older brother had purposefully kept his own sheath attached to his waist.

Che! As if _that _would keep Luke from heading out!

He grabbed his new traveling bag and slid it around his waist, patting it to reassure himself that what he was doing was right and not -in fact- stupid or not-very-well-thought-out. The feeling of his diary inside gave him both comfort and confidence.

Of course what he was doing was right! Everyone else was just dumb and wrong!

Luke crept as stealthily as possible to the bedroom door, the floorboards creaking every other second and causing him to cringe with every step he took. He kept switching his gaze from the door to Tear, to the door, to Asch. At long last, he managed to grip the doorknob and pull the slab of old wood open. Sighing lightly in relief, Luke walked out and slipped from the Inn.

The dirt road gave way to a crisp night breeze and Luke tilted his head up to look at the night sky. His eyes bugged almost right away. "So many stars!" he quietly exclaimed in surprise. Back in the manor, it was near impossible to watch a sunset lower properly, let alone take in such a painted sky. Luke stared at the stars for a while longer, tearing his eyes away when a small shuffling noise caught his attention.

Instinctively he brought a hand to grab a sword he didn't have.

Making a face, Luke ran towards an abandoned stand across from him and ducked down behind it. He tried his best to keep his breathing controlled (something he vaguely remembered Guy teaching him about) and peered from around the corner of the stand. His eyes squinted in an attempt to see the small figure walking past. _Huh... _he began to think. _Those clothes look kind of familiar..._

Then the figure walked straight into a patch of nothing but pure moonlight, and their identity was revealed.

"The Fon Master?" Luke muttered. He quickly moved from behind the stand, trailing the green-haired boy through the dark streets of Engeve. The town seemed much more desolate without the crowds of merry civilians shopping and selling their produce. Luke was only partially creeped out by the stretching shadows and dark corners.

Ion cautiously continued to head for Engeve's west exit, clutching his staff a bit tighter. He didn't dare look behind him for fear of it being an enemy trying to capture him or a villager trying to mug him for gald (it had happened before). It was at times like this that he wished Anise was with him. He knew he shouldn't depend on her for safety as much as he did, but...

The Fon Master sighed and tried to pick his pace up a bit.

He wouldn't be able to bring Anise with him anyway. She would run off to the Colonel and tell him of his plan to investigate the Cheagle Woods. And Jade wouldn't dare let Ion out of his sight; therefore he was on his own for his task. But Ion was curious by nature. Looking for the missing food wasn't _too _daunting of a task. But still...

Ion chanced a glance over his shoulder. His eyes widened as he caught sight of a panicked redhead trying and failing to hide behind a thin apple tree. Ion opened his mouth to speak and then thought better of it, merely smiling to himself and turning back around to walk again. So it wasn't a bandit after all- it was the older boy from Rose's house. As soon as he began walking once more, Ion could hear the redhead start to follow him. Why, Ion hadn't the slightest idea.

Oh well. He didn't seem like a threat or anyone particularly dangerous- except to himself. Maybe he was curious like Ion was?

No...

Ion felt something inside of him hum gently. He blinked and brought a hand to his chest, raising a quizzical brow. _What...? _He frowned but continued on, the humming in his chest of a familiar presence being nearby growing slightly. He had experienced this sensation before, whenever he passed by the God-Generals in Daath. But why was he feeling it now?

Ion shook his head and tried to refocus on the task he had set out to do. But he couldn't- because the humming never faded.

Not once.

* * *

The next morning Asch woke feeling oddly elated and empty at the same time.

_I'm missing something important... _he absently thought, gazing down at his hands. _Food. _

He sat up in his surprisingly comfortable straw mattress, tossing the crumpled cotton blanket he had wrapped himself in the night before, off from his body. He pushed his messy bangs from in front his dark eyes, blearily blinking and trying to figure out where exactly he was again. A short look around the empty room easily jarred his memory. Engeve. The Inn. Something about cheagles and the Fon Master...

Asch shoved his fingers through the front of his hair as he slowly continued to focus, letting the crimson strands spike above his forehead. It was fairly early in the morning and he had the room to himself. Tear's bed was made up neatly but empty, whilst Luke's looked equally untouched. Asch was- frankly- surprised at this, if only because Luke was known for both sleepwalking and making a general mess out of his bed back at the manor.

The maids complained plenty when they thought they wouldn't be overhead.

Asch had just pulled his bangs back down in front of his eyes when the wooden door to their Inn room was hurriedly opened. He lifted a brow as Tear stepped inside, her lips drawn in a tight line and blue eyes shining with supressed anger. Asch grew wary almost immediately. "What's with you?" he asked, voice hoarse as the first words he spoke of the day came out.

"Asch!" Tear approached him, her face unusually urgent yet irritated at the same time. "Luke is missing!"

Asch looked mildly interested before relaxing and smiling. "Well that would explain the reason I woke up happy today," he said.

Tear stared before turning away and sighing. "Let's just go after him before he does anything stupid."

Asch snorted and slid off his bed, taking his time to brush the front of his shirt off. "It's probably already too late. That dreck is everything that is stupid and its relatives," he said, stooping to snatch his crumpled jacket from where it was caught beneath the bed. He slid the jacket on after several minutes, making sure to take his sweet ole' time pulling his bangs down in front his face from where they had gotten spiked as he rolled around in his sleep.

All the while, Tear impatiently folded her arms and watched him. "Asch," she finally snapped as another minute passed. "That's enough stalling."

"I'm not stalling," Asch retorted. "I'm _preparing _myself." He double-checked the small bag he had purchased the night before to make sure all the supplies he might need were inside, sparing Tear a short glance. "Alright. Now we can go."

"What were you preparing yourself for?" Tear tersely asked as they started to head out of the Inn, still a bit annoyed at the purposeful delay.

Asch indifferently shrugged, looking ahead of him without a care in the world. "To write a letter to my father."

"Your father?"

"To tell him that his idiotic youngest son finally got himself maimed by some giant forest creature."

"Asch," Tear looked slightly apalled. "That's horrible!"

Asch smirked. "To you maybe. But if I know my father, he'll want to throw a party."

Tear frowned and moved her gaze to the open market streets of Engeve. "I don't think that's what he'll do."

"That's _exactly _what he'll do- trust me. And I want to be back for the celebration."

There was a pregnant silence as they stepped out from the entrance arch of the grocer's hamlet, the bright morning sun shining brightly on them as they walked. The air was warm and slightly crisp, several monsters skittering on the far outskirts of Engeve. Tear watched the monsters with a sharp eye as they took a path north, ready to fight if needed. And then there came a noise so startling, that she found herself jumping and whipping her head to the side to stare at Asch.

He was laughing.

But it wasn't a forced or fake laugh- or even a crazed one (as unsurprised Tear would be if it was). It was a genuine laugh of someone experiencing true elation and freedom. A smile spread across Asch's features and his emerald eyes began to shine. He took several driving steps forward before turning and facing Tear.

"Let's stop for breakfast."

Tear turned a bright red from such an open and honest expression the normally grouchy redhead wore. She might have agreed if it hadn't been for the fact that a nagging voice in the back of her head told her that Luke was still missing and possibly in danger. She silently coughed and straightened her back. "We can't Asch. We have to find Luke first."

Asch's features contorted into a scowl, all traces of happiness wiped off. "He can wait."

Tear sighed and started to walk past, feeling a hint of guilt for ruining the good mood he had just been in. "Breakfast can wait even longer. I'm sorry- we shouldn't waste any time."

Asch folded his arms, looking thoroughly put out. "But...I just got my..."

Tear looked over her shoulder at him. "What did you say?"

Asch scoffed. "Nothing." He began to trudge towards her, walking beside the (still) mysterious intruder towards the Cheagle Woods. _I just got my freedom. Why does that stupid dreck have to take everything away! _The scowl on his face deepened and he turned his gaze to the bright, cloudless sky.

"One of these days... I'll make sure you _won't _get in my way," he uttered aloud.

* * *

**A/N:... Hmm, Asch has some issues... haha, but that's why I like him!**

**Thank you very much for the reviews and favorites so far, I really appreciate them. And I'm sorry for the long wait. I've got to focus on school! But I hope this long chapter is worth a little more waiting for the next chapter ;D**

**There are no OC's in this story except for John's best friend, Evan. All other characters will be from the game. And I'm sure if you've played the game, John and Miriam should be familiar to you...**

**As always- feedback is welcome!**


	5. Chapter Four

**A/N: Here's to a long overdue chapter...**

* * *

Chapter Four: Monsters and Dreams

* * *

The woods were a vast place.

It didn't take very long for Luke to get lost. He leapt carefully over a moss-covered boulder sitting in the middle of a gurgling river, cursing himself for ever losing sight of the Fon Master. He hadn't wanted to get caught, so as soon as he trailed the missing Fon Master into the woods, he had broken off and gone his own way, hoping to find John and get back to the Inn before either Tear or Asch noticed his disappearance. Though he doubted they seriously cared.

Luke grumbled, not watching where he was walking as he headed towards a clearing, blocked off by the low-hanging branches of a gnarled tree. He should've just followed the Fon Master. At least the green-haired boy seemed to _know _where he was going. Luke, on the other hand, spent most of the night avoiding prowling monsters and creeping along the riverbank. He'd been hoping to find John somewhere in the foliage, but no such luck. And by the time the sun broke through the thick leaves of the Cheagle Woods, Luke had successfully circled the same area fifteen times, having not realized the river he followed formed a horribly shaped oval.

"This sucks," he uttered. "It really, really sucks."

John was nowhere in sight, the Fon Master had probably already left the woods, and he was all alone without a decent weapon. All the sticks he attempted to make into swords had snapped as soon as he gripped it.

Luke started to stomp. He didn't duck his head as he passed by the tree, and before he had even taken two steps inside the clearing, he was jerked back. Luke loudly yelped, his scalp painfully throbbing. He twisted his neck as far around as it would go, barely able to see the sharp branches that had snagged a hold of the long ends of his hair.

Luke's eye twitched.

"Alright...let's try this again..." he muttered.

He tried to walk forward once more. His hair remained caught.

A vein appeared on his forehead.

"What the hell**?**!"

Luke tried to jog forward- the results were the same.

Angered, the redhead reached his arms behind him and tried to pick his hair from the branches' unrelenting hold. He struggled for little over a minute before his arms grew heavy and he dropped them, breathing harshly through his nose. This was ridiculous! Why wasn't his hair coming loose? At this rate he'd be stuck here forever! Not to mention the fact that he'd be easy prey for any monster passing by.

_I have to do something,_ Luke thought to himself in frustration. _But what the hell can I do? _

A tiny thought occured to him.

He vaguely recalled a conversation he and Guy held in the courtyard one day while waiting for Van to show. Luke had asked Guy what grappling was, and after a very painful lesson in which he nearly had his arms ripped off by the blond, Luke discovered that the only way to get out of a particularly vicious grip was to tear himself away by running.

Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Luke bent his knees. And then pushed off the balls of his feet, sprinting hard and fast. It took him about ten seconds to realize he wasn't going any farther into the clearing. He was just running in place.

"_Aaargh! I'm going to become bald_!" he yelled for the world to hear, clutching madly at his bangs as he continued to run to no avail. All he succeeded in doing was giving himself a migraine and attracting all beasts within a four mile radius.

A low squawk from his left drew his attention.

Luke stopped struggling and looked to see the source of the less than pleasant noise. His eyes widened at the sight of the large bird-like monster that stood at his own height, fluffy fur a bright yellow and orange. But that wasn't what Luke was looking at so horrified. It was the giant _butcher_ knife shaped beak the bird had.

And it looked like it was about to use it on _him_.

"No way..." Luke said, the words hoarse. "No, no, no, no, no-"

The bird's eyes narrowed. Then sprinted at him.

Luke shrilly shrieked and ducked as the bird went for his head. The pull from the tree had him twitching in pain and he shouted again. Then all at once, the pain was gone, and Luke was left fumbling into the clearing, feeling oddly light-headed. Luke slowly turned. His mouth dropped.

Hanging from the tree, billowing in the wind from its branches, was his _hair_.

For a terrifying moment, Luke thought he actually went bald. A quick pat of his head revealed to him that he wasn't. But half of his hair was certainly gone. The red locks now fell to his mid-shoulders in a jagged mess.

The bird who had attacked seemed to realize it hadn't managed to lop the redhead's head off like planned, and pivoted on its three-toed feet to stare him down. Luke froze, and they stood facing off for a minute in solid silence.

Then Luke bolted, whirling around and running as fast as he could.

The bird followed.

"This is insane!" Luke yelled as he stumbled through the Woods. "I can't believe this is happening!"

The bird cawed loudly behind him, charging towards his torso.

"Ack!" Luke dove towards the ground, not realizing he was lunging straight down a hill. He rolled several times over his head screaming like a madman. His elbows and knees were thoroughly bruised when he finally came to a stop- at the bottom of hole.

Luke groaned and rolled onto his back, staring miserably up at the tree-covered skies above.

This day really couldn't get any worse.

* * *

Asch and Tear were making decent progress through the Cheagle Woods.

They'd been searching inside for near twenty minutes, yet there was no sign of either Luke or the boy Luke had been looking for.

Well- Tear was searching. Asch was scrutinizing a blue mushroom near a bush.

Tear sighed and turned away from the taller redhead. He really wasn't going to partake in this search, was he? She started to walk along the narrow grass path they had stuck to traveling on, listening as Asch moved from the mushroom to follow her. Satisfied that he _wasn't _just going to stand there for the rest of their time in the Woods, Tear turned her attention to the multitude of trees and boulders around them. Her blue eyes scanned the area for anything out of place.

She found nothing.

"Have you tried searching the rivers?" Asch questioned as he walked alongside her.

Tear glanced sideways at him. "The rivers?" she echoed. "Why would I do that?"

Asch smirked and looked in front him. "Who knows- you might find the dreck floating about, face-down."

Tear brought a hand to her head. "Luke isn't dead Asch."

"You don't know that."

"I don't see why you should be so happy even if it _was _true."

"We all have our reasons," the smirk hadn't left Asch's face. "You _were _trying to kill Van, weren't you?"

Tear came to a stop, forehead creasing. "That isn't the same. I-" she cut herself off, unable to form a response that didn't make her sound like a hypocrite. Instead she began to walk again and said, "Let's just keep looking. Luke can't be far."

* * *

It took Luke ten minutes to crawl from the hole he had fallen into. He panted, gritting his teeth as he hauled himself over the side of the crumbling dirt. His arms were sore, his feet hurt from kicking against the hole wall, and he had a horrible headache from his tumble.

It was decided.

This was the worst place on the face of the planet. Maybe their father had good reason after all for keeping them locked in the manor.

Luke huffed, slowly sitting up. He wondered if their father was looking for them, or if he even cared. He doubted the older man knew they had ended up in Malkuth territory... Luke frowned. Their mother must be worried sick, and for a terrible moment, Luke felt like the worst piece of scum in the world.

She had always been prone to sickness. He remembered one time when he slipped out of bed in the middle of the night and climbed out his window. He'd been watching the guard's scouting pattern that passed by his bedroom and mapped out when he switched shifts with another. The night had been cold and the wind biting, but Luke hadn't cared as he ran around the grassy area, weaving in and out of the nearby bushes. There was no one to watch him or tell him what to do.

Luke had giggled and climbed a fairly small tree with his stubby hands, wanting to touch the top of the world.

He barely recalled falling asleep as he reached the fourth highest branch.

Morning had come, and Luke groggily woke to the sound of worried shouts and frantic searching.

_"Luke! You out here?"_

"_Luke!"_

A little bit scared, the small redhead had leaned out of the branch and peered the tiny distance down to the ground. He couldn't see anything... Luke had leant further out, and slipped, tumbling towards the ground with a squeal and closed eyes. He'd been caught in a pair of arms not much larger than his own, and he knew right away that it hadn't been his father.

_"Hey little buddy, are you okay?"_

Luke cracked his eyes and saw Guy's own young face looking down at him. He nodded and as he was set down, had heard another pair of footsteps run over to him. He was gathered in the shaking arms of his mother then, and pulled into a warm hug.

_"There you are," _she had said through tiny coughs. _"I was so scared..."_

Luke hadn't learned until a few years later that no one else bothered to look for him.

Guy and his mother...

A dark shadow passed over Luke's face as he lowered his head.

The only two to care if he disappeared.

_Well who cares? _Luke thought as he stood to his feet and brushed his torn pants. "I don't need anyone but those two anyway!" Turning his nose up, he walked through the Woods, making sure to keep an eye out for any monsters.

He'd been walking for a good fifteen minutes when it occured to him that the boy he searched for might have already left the forest. For all he knew John could be back in Engeve with Miriam having a warm breakfast!

The idea quickly flew out of his head, however, as he approached a small clearing, blocked off once again by a multitude of thick bushes and branches.

Luke warily stopped, suspiciously turning his head this way and that to search the area for any vicious birds or particularly sharp branches.

He wasn't sure he'd make it out with _any _hair if what happened earlier happened again.

Then Luke saw something, breaking him from his embarrassing thoughts.

Luke could just make out the outline of a short figure walking through the tiny open area. "Is that...John?" he muttered to himself. He started to push aside the thick leaves blocking his vision from making out the figure completely but froze when the leaves of the bushes rustled and swayed. A hint of fear making its way through Luke's system, he cast his eyes slowly to the right. His blood went cold.

A large wolf, grey in color with sharp black stripes running down the length of its back, was hiding. Red eyes were trained on the small figure in the clearing.

Luke held his breath.

The figure didn't seem to notice the beast lurking in the woods just ten feet from Luke, and the beast didn't seem to notice Luke, so focused on its impending attack on the small boy. Luke glanced from the wolf to the figure. The only kid out in the Woods at this time would have to be John. He couldn't let John be attacked!

Why couldn't John sense the danger?

The wolf tensed the same time Luke did. It was going to make its move.

"Look out!" Luke shouted, bursting from the bushes the same time the wolf did.

He tackled the small figure to the ground, wrapping them tightly in his arms and rolling to the side, just in time to avoid the aggressive strikes of a clawed paw. Luke sat up and released his hold on the boy, his eyes widening as his saw green hair instead of black. "The Fon Master?"

Ion looked up at the redhead in surprise. He looked like something had beaten him up terribly. "You're from Rose's house. Did you follow me all the way out here?" he asked.

"No, I-"

A loud growl echoed throughout the clearing.

Luke's head snapped to the front where the wolf had pressed itself flat to the ground, teeth bared, prepared to attack. Without any other warning, the wolf lunged, gnashing its powerful jaws together. Luke saw it aiming for the Fon Master, and on instinct, pushed the weaker boy aside. Ion went skidding back several feet with a small cry as Luke was tackled from the side.

"Aaugh!" Luke fought to push the wolf off his right arm. "Get off of me you stupid beast!" he shouted.

The monster's body was heavy and teeth sharp. Luke's hands were sweaty and his right hand dripping in blood from the hole being made in his arm. He beat his left fist on the short, bristled skin of the wolf, though it had little effect. The pain in his arm grew unbearable. Luke growled and opened his mouth wide.

Then he chomped on the only part of the wolf he could reach- the monster's shoulder.

The wolf released his arm with a howl as Luke dug his teeth deep and furiously into its skin.

Ion watched with wide eyes, climbing slowly onto his feet. His staff was trembling in his grip. There was so much blood sinking into the earth beneath redhead. Was all of that from his arm? Ion desperately wanted to help, but knew if he tried to run in between the two he'd only get in the way. And his Daathic Artes were out of the question- they'd destroy the redhead too.

Luke finally raised his teeth from the wolf's skin, mouth full of dirty fur. He grunted and took the opportunity to raise his knee and kick the monster off him. The wolf staggered back, unsteady on one of its front legs, red eyes full of rage. Luke coughed and spat on the ground, trying to clean his tongue with his good hand.

That was the nastiest thing he'd ever tasted! Aside from Asch's cooking.

Luke pushed to his knees as carefully as possible, keeping an eye on the wolf that had yet to retreat. That thing just didn't give up, did it? "Che. Annoying little..." His eyes flicked briefly over to the Fon Master, whose pale face stared worriedly into his own.

The seriousness of the situation came crashing down on Luke. Here he was in the middle of a monster-filled woods, with no weapon, and a very important person that a lot of people seemed to care about. Not only was Luke going to get himself killed, he was going to bring the Fon Master down with him.

Luke could imagine the funeral now- if he had one. It'd be his mother and Guy at his grave mourning as his twin and father threw a celebration in the manor, along with the servants and maids. Then all of Baticul would spit on his burial site for bringing about the demise of the Fon Master.

Luke blanched. There was no way he'd let that happen! He glared at the wolf, energy renewed. "Alright you- bring it on!"

The wolf yowled at his challenge and pounced.

Luke stumbled out the way and shot a glance at the Fon Master again, wondering if he should tell the green-haired boy to run. His eyes locked onto the staff the Fon Master held. His green eyes sparked with an idea.

"Hey! Fon Master!" he shouted, narrowly avoiding another attack by the wolf. "Give me your staff!"

"What?" Ion glanced down at the requested object. "But..."

Luke moved too slow and was clawed in the thigh for it. He flinched and swung his free foot into the wolf's side. The monster rolled in the opposite direction, on its feet again in a flash. Luke gave the Fon Master an impatient look. "Just let me use it real quick!"

Ion hesitated only for a moment longer, then tossed the staff as best as he could to the redhead.

Luke ran the couple of feet to catch it. "Alright," he muttered to himself. He faced the wolf jumping towards him once more and flipped the staff upside down so that the blunt end faced up. "Take this you mangy mutt!" he hollered, swinging the staff viciously. It caught the wolf across the neck and sent it careening across the field.

Letting out an anguished cry, the monster fell onto its side. It snarled and growled but couldn't bring itself back to its clawed feet.

Luke panted heavily from the effort, then steeled his resolve, walking over to the wolf. Now that the adrenaline had run out, his injured arm throbbed and was beginning to go numb. "I don't want to do this, but I can't have you killing me _or _the Fon Master." He raised the staff above the wolf's neck, forced to look from its suddenly fearful glare.

"Wait!" Ion cried out, running to the redhead. "Don't do it!"

Luke looked over his shoulder at him. "What?"

"It's-" Ion glanced at the wolf with pity. "It's already injured enough. It doesn't need to die."

"Are you crazy?" Luke furrowed his brows. "It just tried to kill us!"

Ion frowned. "True as that may be, can you really stand here and tell me you'll kill this beast without pause?" he asked.

Luke's mouth fell open slightly. His gaze shifted to the wolf staring up at him. He swallowed hard, throat suddenly dry. "I..." He squeezed his eyes shut and turned, thrusting the staff into the Fon Master's arms. "Damn it! What the hell are you even doing out here?"

Ion gazed at his staff for a moment, then at the taller boy in front him. "I-"

The bushes where Luke had originally come flying out of rustled. Luke and Ion tensed, staring with trepidation at the spot. If it was another wolf...

A boy ran into the area, covered in dirt and scratched from head to toe. His breath came out in short gasps as he glanced repeatedly over his shoulder. He had a box clutched protectively to his chest, moving with a limp in his leg.

Luke would've recognized the kid anywhere.

"John!"

"Luke?" the dark-haired boy stopped his fretting to look at the redhead marching towards him. "What are you doing he- Ow!" he exclaimed as Luke smacked him over the head. "What was that for?"

Luke's expression was filled with a rare genuine fury. "Baka!"

John pouted, tiny brows lowering. "What?"

A vein popped. "Don't 'what?' me!" Luke shouted. "Do you have any idea what I went through trying to find you? Evan was really worried, and so was your mom! She was crying!"

"Huh?" John looked startled.

"Please, calm down," Ion approached the two. He fixed his gaze on John who was only a foot shorter than him. "What's going on?"

Luke brought a hand to his head, then winced and dropped it. Wrong arm to use. "I came to find him- because his mom and friend were upset," he muttered, cradling his injury with his other hand.

"I'm sorry... I- I didn't think they'd really worry," John was looking at the drying blood on Luke's arm. "I thought I'd be back in a jiffy."

"That makes two of us." Luke felt his annoyance and anger drain away. He just wanted to sit down, maybe sleep.

John's lips turned into a deep set frown. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yes," Ion's attention also focused in on the redhead. "You lost a lot of blood."

Luke half-smirked. "Nothing I can't handle." He was careful to use his good hand to rub his nose. "But seriously, what were you both doing? Coming out here on your own without telling anyone?"

"Oh!" John perked up at the question, excitement flooding his features. He held up the box he'd been holding so the Fon Master and Luke could see. "I came out here to find this! It's a special box!"

"Special box?" Luke was skeptical. It looked like a plain and ugly to him.

"Uh-huh," John nodded his head twice. "I was on my way home when I saw Fin packing up his fruit crates for the night."

Luke's brow raised. "The guy who accused me of stealing his apple?"

John tilted his head. "He did that?" the boy shrugged. "I guess. Well anyway~ he looked pretty upset so I asked what was wrong. And he said that he misplaced a very special box in the Woods. So I offered to find it for him! And I did! It was under a rock! I had to work hard to lift it."

Luke stared. "How the hell did he misplace a box in the middle of the Woods- under a _rock_?"

"I dunno," John shrugged. "I guess you can ask him when we get back to the village."

"That's not all I'm gonna do when I see him..." Luke darkly uttered.

"Um...excuse me," Ion said, having been quiet during the entire exchange. He looked at the young boy curiously. "Your name is John, yes?"

John bobbed his head.

"...What were you running from?"

The question caused both Luke and John to freeze. Clearly they had both forgotten.

"Oh..." John shifted. "Uh...nothing really. Just...some monsters."

Luke gaped in disbelief at the young boy. "_Monsters_?" he yelped.

John sheepishly laughed, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah. But I guess they're not following me anymore. Otherwise they'd be here by now."

"Hmph. I guess you're right..." Luke remained uncertain.

"Still, we probably shouldn't stand here. We should move, just in case," Ion suggested.

"Sounds good to me!" John chirped.

Luke frowned at him. "We need to find a way out of these woods to get back to the village."

"I know one," John cheerfully replied. "I used to play in the woods all the time before it got dangerous and mom stopped me! It should only take about fifteen minutes."

Luke suspiciously narrowed his eyes. "Is it safe?"

"Yup! Evan and I made it ourselves. No monsters go there because the smell of the mushrooms makes 'em sick," John explained.

"Huh... well that's useful." Luke glanced at Ion. "You're coming, right?"

Ion hesitatingly smiled, then shook his head a little. "I'm sorry, but I still have something I need to do. I'll come back to Engeve afterwards."

Luke's eyes nearly bugged out their sockets. "What? Are you kidding? You almost got eaten by a wolf a while ago! Why would you stay here?"

"I wanted to find the Cheagle Elder and ask about the food the cheagles have been stealing."

"Cheagles? Cheagles are cool, Fon Master!" John excitedly said.

Ion smiled somewhat wearily at him. "Yes. They sound like they are," he replied.

Luke wasn't impressed. "But _why_? Everyone knows that the cheagles are the food thieves. Problem solved."

"That's not true..." Ion calmly answered. "We don't know the reason why they've been stealing. This could be a bigger issue than we think."

"I doubt it is," Luke snorted, folding his arms. By now his injured arm had completely gone numb, so it caused no more pain. At this point it was just plain uncomfortable. "You can't waltz through a forest on your own."

"I can protect myself," Ion said, expression resolute though his voice wavered.

"You don't have a weapon except for that staff," Luke pointed out, "and you don't look like you could swing it to defend yourself."

"I..." Ion shamefully lowered his gaze to the ground. "I believed I would be fine for long enough."

Alright, it was official. This kid was off his rocker without a doubt.

Luke shook his head to himself in disbelief. "Jeez..." His eyes drifted to where John patiently stood, looking at him with a curious face. Luke opened his mouth to say something- and paused. He had promised Miriam that he'd bring her son home safe and sound. He wanted to personally bring John to her and show her that he'd kept his word, that he could be trusted. But...

He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd be making a mistake if he left the Fon Master on his own.

"John," he said, guilt already churning in his stomach. "You head back to the village and go straight to your mom, got it?"

"Of course I will," John said, blinking innocently at him. "What are you gonna do?"

Luke cleared his throat. "I'm...going to go with the Fon Master, I guess. The Woods are pretty dangerous."

"You want me to go alone?" John looked confused.

Luke bit his lip. _Damn it. _"I'm sorry, I just-"

John suddenly grinned, very happy and very relieved. "So you're not angry at me for running off?"

Now it was Luke's turn to look confused. "Huh?"

"I'm really glad you trust me," John earnestly told him. "I thought for sure you wouldn't. I'll head right home! I'll show you I can be trustworthy, okay?"

"Uh...sure..." Luke scratched his head. "Just stay safe, alright?"

John firmly nodded. "You got it!" He turned on his small feet and ran off, holding the box just as tightly to his chest as before. Within moments he was gone, vanishing through the trees on their right. Soon not a single trace remained of the young boy having been there.

Luke, though he still felt very conflicted, turned to the Fon Master. "...Should we get going?"

Ion slowly shook his head in agreement, a bit frazzled from the commotion. "Yes...we should." He paused, looking at the redhead's arm. "First, let's wrap that. I have some bandages with me, though I don't know if it will help."

Luke wasn't sure if it'd help either. He couldn't feel much of anything but a dull ache. Still, he didn't protest as the Fon Master bandaged him, and was grateful when the Fon Master didn't bother to mention the wild state of his hair, tangled and brutally chopped as it was. His dignity was already at his feet, shattered into tiny pieces.

"I never got the chance to say it before..." Ion said.

Luke looked at the green-haired boy, brow raised. "Huh?"

Ion glanced at him, smiling a small smile. "Thank you for saving me."

Luke turned red and averted his gaze. "Whatever. The damn things I do..."

* * *

Arietta comfortingly patted the smooth fur of her mommy, looking down at the eggs in the nest they stood in front of. "Don't worry," she said. "Arietta is sure that all the eggs will hatch healthy."

The Liger Queen rumbled low in the back of her throat.

Arietta giggled softly. "Yes. Arietta is excited to have siblings to play with."

The Queen rumbled some more.

"No." Arietta's hair swished from side to side as she shook her head. "Arietta won't be jealous. Arietta is happy for mommy. Arietta knows mommy will love her same as always."

The Queen turned her head and licked the side of the young girl's face.

Arietta smiled and pat her mommy's fur one last time. Then she stepped away, climbing onto the back of the second, much smaller liger than had been patiently waiting for her to finish her conversation. Arietta waved to her mommy. "Arietta will be back after she finishes her business. Take care until then."

The Liger Queen inclined her head slightly before pausing. Her head turned to the right.

Arietta followed her mommy's line of sight, a small gasp escaping her. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Her brows defensively lowered. "Mommy's eggs are about to hatch! You can't be here!"

Your mother knows I'm here to do no harm," was the reply. The approaching redhead didn't stop until he had come to stand beside the Liger Queen. He ran his hand along her fur for a passing minute, then shifted his emerald eyes to Arietta. "Largo is waiting for you to gather the griffons and ligers."

Arietta scrunched her nose. "Arietta was just going to get them. So you can leave now."

"I have business in the Woods," the redhead replied. "I will, however, leave your mother and her eggs alone."

"Good!" Arietta paused after her outburst. Her eyes shimmered with worry and she looked down at the ground, her tiny fist clenching the fur of the liger she sat on top of. "Is...Is the Commadant angry at Arietta for coming to see her mommy?"

The Liger Queen growled at the young girl's anxiety.

"Van doesn't care," the redhead answered. "So long as you do your part." He turned, heading for the exit to the clearing the Liger Queen planned on resting in. "If Largo or Legretta ask, tell them that I'll join them in a bit."

Arietta curiously looked after him. "Where are you going?"

The redhead smile could be heard in his voice. "On a visit. I'll see you tomorrow for our attack."

"Wait!" Arietta worriedly watched as he stopped and looked behind at her. "What will the Commadant say?"

This time the smile on his face could be seen perfectly clear. "I doubt the Commandant will have anything to say."

* * *

Asch was starting to get disturbed.

He and Tear had been walking through the same grass path on the Cheagle Woods for over an hour now, and what had started out as one or two blue mushrooms scattered along the pathside, had somehow turned into an infestation of the damn things. Asch glanced at Tear walking in front him. How the hell was this _not _bothering her? Was she blind?

In all honesty, Tear _had _noticed the unusual growth of mushrooms. She simply chose not to comment on it. Tear's thoughts began to form some theories on the subject matter, but they were quickly scattered when a sound caught her attention. There was a set of light pitter-patters heading towards them.

Tear stopped walking. Behind her Asch did the same.

They were both surprised when they saw the source of the noise. A young boy, his face determined and box held closely to his chest, barreled down the grass pathway. His eyes grew wide when he saw the two standing in his way and he skidded to a halt, almost falling over had it not been for Tear reaching out a steadying hand.

"Thanks," he panted, out of breath. He straightened up and looked at them, wondering how they managed to find his secret path. Then he realized what he was staring at. "Luke?" he questioned.

Asch's nose crinkled in disgust. "I'm not Luke."

The boy didn't seem to hear him. "How'd you get here so fast?" he asked. "I thought you were staying with the Fon Master."

Tear and Asch shared a look. "Fon Master?" they said in unison.

"Ah!" the boy finally took note of the clothing the redhead wore. It wasn't the same as the one he'd seen Luke in earlier. But they looked so eerily alike... "Excuse me mister and lady," he said, gaining their undivided attention. "What are you doing here?"

"We're looking for our companion," Tear spoke up before Asch could. "His name is Luke. You sound like you've seen him."

"I did," the boy confirmed. "He said that I should go home to my mom. I asked him what he was going to do, and he said he was going to go with the Fon Master. Something about cheagles!" he grew excited at the thought. "I like cheagles!"

Asch rolled his eyes. "That's cute, kid. Now which way did the Fon Master and dreck go?"

The boy blinked. "Dreck? What's that?"

"He means Luke," Tear said, shooting Asch a short glare. "Please. We've been looking for him for a long time."

Asch harrumphed as the boy thoughtfully eyed her and said, "To find the Cheagle Elder. If you want to get to them you should just follow this path. It leads straight to the area we were in earlier."

"They'll be long gone if we don't hurry to catch up," Asch muttered. "Then we'll really be in a mess."

"Yes, you're right." Tear gave the small boy in front them a grateful look. "Thank you, but we need to get going. Will you be alright heading to Engeve on your own?"

"Yuppers!" John's eyes burned with resolve. "I told Luke I'd be fine, so I'll be fine!" He manuevered around the pair and started to run off again. He paused though to look over his shoulder and call to them, "Take care of Luke though! He was all bloody and stuff!"

He disappeared soon after.

Tear had a look of worry on her face. "Bloody?"

Asch, however, scoffed and started walking along the grass path as the boy instructed. Although as to why he and Tear were taking the word of a kid was beyond him. Then he remembered- they had nothing else to go off of.

Tear snapped out of her wandering worries and caught up with Asch. "Do you think your brother is alright?"

"That dreck doesn't concern me," Asch snorted. "What's important is that the moron doesn't get the Fon Master killed."

Tear frowned. "You can't possibly mean that."

Asch raised his brows at her disapproving tone. "Mean what?"

"About Luke."

"Sure I do. There's no lost love between you and Van, am I right?"

Tear frowned even deeper and shook her head. "Things are more complicated than that. But I...I still care for him. Don't you care for Luke at all?" she asked, unable to believe it was true.

Asch resisted the urge to laugh. He had more decency than that. "Sorry Tear," he said. "You're sadly mistaken."

Tear narrowed her eyes. He was lying. He had to be. But she found herself doubting her own thoughts. Her mind briefly flashed back to the night in the carriage after they left Tataroo Valley. Luke's troubled expression at the mention of an ill-omen child and Asch's own bitterness... Things like that didn't stem from nowhere. The House of Fon Fabre was hiding a secret, and though Tear knew it to be none of her business, wondered what truly went on behind the manor's closed doors.

Luke and Asch...

Tear sighed silently.

They were two mysteries to be solved.

Asch was lost in his own mind as they walked. He was vaguely surprised at his lack of glee upon hearing that his twin had been injured, possibly in a severe manner. He wasn't happy at the news, but he wasn't particularly concerned either. At any rate, Luke wasn't his main focus. The thought that the _Fon Master _of all people was in the Cheagle Woods bothered him more.

Van had said that the Fon Master was missing. The boy didn't look like he was, and if he had the time to run around in a bunch of cheagle and mushroom infested woods, then he obviously wasn't in any rush to assure Van that he was alright. Which meant that the Fon Master _wanted _to keep Van in the dark about his location.

Asch's eyes became thoughtful slits.

Just what was Van hiding?

And what the hell was with all these damned mushrooms**?**!

* * *

Luke stared flabbergasted at the massive tree before them.

It was _gigantic_.

"Whoa... how did this thing grow here?"

Ion smiled at the redhead he had come to know as Luke. They'd gotten around to introductions after walking for twenty minutes calling each other by saying things like, 'Hey', and 'Excuse me but...'

"There must be something special in the soil," the Fon Master said.

Luke harrumphed. "There's something in it all right," he grumbled, thinking back to the wolf he fought and killer bird. Luckily he and Ion hadn't run into anymore trouble along the way- a miracle to honest. Luke wasn't sure Ion would let him use his staff again.

"The cheagles live in here, I'm sure of it."

"What gave it away?" Luke sarcastically asked, eyeing the fluffy monsters as they wandered towards the base of the tree. The things let out irritating noises, some glaring, others frightfully waddling away. "These are sacred beasts?"

Ion nodded. "I admit I expected something different as well...but they're cute, aren't they?"

"Hardly. Listen to them!"

"I still think it's cute."

"Tch. Whatever." Luke's green eyes locked onto a pile of apples discarded at the tree base. "Hey!" He ran towards them, stooping to grab one. "There aren't any apples in these Woods are there?" He rolled the fruit over, raising a brow at the stamp on it. "The heck is this?"

"The seal of Engeve," Ion said, walking up beside him. His brows lowered. "So they really did steal the food..."

Luke snorted. "So much for being sacred." He lifted his gaze, peering into the large hole at the base of the tree. "I bet all those cheagles are hiding out in there. They're nothing but dirty thieves."

"Don't call them that," Ion gently scolded him. "You didn't like being accused of stealing Fin's apple, did you?"

"...Let's just get in there," Luke muttered, tossing the apple aside.

Ion followed with no complaint, staying behind Luke as the redhead stomped inside the darkness of the tree grove.

"Hey!" Luke loudly called. "Anything in here? We know you're the thieves!"

What seemed like a hundred pairs of bright, gleaming eyes appeared in the darkness. A shudder racked Luke's body, but he held his ground. Swallowing, he called out again, "I'm talking to you! Come on out, you little monsters!"

Immediately they were swarmed by a mass of multi-colored cheagles, fierce and protective.

"What the heck do these things want?" Luke shouted, shifting closer to Ion.

Ion shifted closer in return, gripping his staff tighter. "Maybe they're just trying to talk to us. I don't think they want to hurt us..."

"Are you _blind_?"

"Mieu, mieu, mieu, mieu!" a low, firm voice commanded. "Mieu!"

The crowd of cheagles scattered and bounded to the far edges of the tree grove.

The cheagle that had spoken waddled slowly in their direction, voice cautious. "Who are you?"

"That thing can speak in our language?" Luke exclaimed, baffled.

Ion ignored him for the moment and addressed the cheagle. "My name is Ion. I haven't come here to cause harm."

The cheagle paused several feet in front them. "Are you of relation to Yulia Jue?"

"Yes. I am the Fon Master of the Order of Lorelei," Ion firmly said, approaching the cheagle. "Are you the elder?"

"I am," came the response. "And why have you come? To exterminate us?"

Luke's brows furrowed. "What's this about exterminating?" He was trying to wrap his mind around the fact that these things could apparently speak. And now that they weren't surrounded by vicious cheagles, he could see that the inside of the tree was big and spacious. Though he didn't see any of the supposedly stolen food around. Suspicious.

"We have been stealing food from Engeve. You knew that, didn't you?" the cheagle elder said, looking up at Luke through two bushy brow.

_Can that thing even see? _Luke inwardly asked.

"Yes. We knew this," Ion said in response to her question. "But we didn't come here to hurt you. Only to find out why you've been stealing food. Cheagles are vegetarian, and there's plenty of plants in these woods. What reason would you have to steal outside?"

"To preserve our race."

Luke tilted his head to the side. "Huh?" That didn't sound pleasant. "Something attacking you or something?" Now that he thought about it, Miriam had said that the monsters in the woods were more aggressive than usual. Maybe this was the reason.

"Ligers have moved down here from the north, angry at a fire that burned their home and having no where else to turn to," the elder replied. "They demand that we supply them with food or else they'll take one of our own daily and eat them. We've tried to reason with them on multiple occasions, but we've lost many cheagles in the process."

"How terrible..." Ion sadly murmured. "How did a fire happen?"

The cheagle elder sighed. "One of our own did it." She turned and called across the tree grove, speaking in her native language. A small blue cheagle stopped what it had been doing in the far corner and waddled over, curiousity on its round face as it gazed at the two strangers.

"Mieu...?"

"Mieu, mieu, mieu. Mieu, mieu."

"Mieu! Mieu, mieu!"

"The hell are the saying?" Luke mumbled. "It all sounds the same to me."

Ion softly laughed. "That makes two of us."

"This is Mieu," the cheagle elder finally introduced, facing them. "He's the one who caused the fire."

"What? How'd this little thing do _that_? Luke asked, scrutinizing the monster. It didn't look like it could do that.

"He is young and unable to control his fire like the rest of us," the elder explained. "But I will allow him to travel with you as you leave."

This caught Luke's attention. "You're just gonna hand him over?"

"He will be of use to you."

"Ah...cheagles are a fire-breathing species," Ion knelt, rubbing the top of Mieu's head. "I'd forgotten. This could be helpful to us."

"You sure about that?" Luke eyed Mieu warily. "What if he burns down even more of the forest or something?"

"Mieu..." Mieu's ears drooped.

Ion comfortingly pat the cheagle on the head before standing and answering Luke's question. "I'm sure he won't. We're not going to be shooting flames at everything we see. Only if we're in trouble."

"Hmph. I guess..." Luke still wasn't sure, but it didn't look like he had much influence in the decision to keep the blue thing around anyway.

The cheagle elder pulled out a golden ring with Ancient Ispanian inscriptions carved into it. "This is the Sorceror's Ring," she said as she waddled over to Mieu and forcefully pushed the ring over the cheagle's head. Both Ion and Luke winced. "Mieu can talk with the ligers if this is on him."

"Okay...why are you giving it to him?" Luke asked, confused. "He's so...small. Does he even need it?"

"Mieu caused the fire in the north and is the cause of this trouble. As penance he will go with you."

"Go with us?" Luke scoffed, planting a hand on his waist. "We aren't going anywhere except back to Engeve."

Ion turned to him, eyes wide. "What?"

Mieu looked in between the pair, blinking his large violet eyes. Then he opened his mouth to speak. "You mean you won't be helping us?"

Luke thought someone had just jammed a pair of nails into his ears. His brow twitched. "Annoying..."

"Mieu," the cheagle elder firmly started to say, "run along and let us converse on our own."

The blue cheagle saluted. "Yes ma'm!" he said before bounding off to a corner by himself. The other cheagles avoided him like the plague.

Luke glanced at the Fon Master- and immediately regretted it. "What?" he said, defensively.

Ion was looking at Luke, crestfallen. "You want to go back to Engeve? Not negotiate with the ligers?"

"Heck no! Why would I want to do that?"

"But you agreed about Mieu guiding us..."

"To get out the _woods_," Luke scoffed. "They're guardians, aren't they?"

Ion frowned. "Yes, but..." he sighed. "I just thought you wanted to help the cheagles."

Luke felt bad but couldn't say he cared much for the somewhat complicated matters of monsters and their food web systems. "This isn't our problem," he said aloud. "It sucks that you're being attacked but you reap what you sow. I'd be pissed if you torched my land too."

"Luke," Ion began to say.

The redhead frowned. "What? It's true."

"If we run out of food, the ligers will move to attack Engeve next," the cheagle elder quietly said. "No one would be safe."

Luke jolted at the words. Engeve...attacked? His mind flashed with images of John and Miriam, even that little brat Evan. Luke could care less if the ones who accused him of being a thief disappeared from the world- they were jerks. But what if there were others like John? Like Miriam, who reminded him so much of his own mother? Luke gnawed at his lower lip.

"Then if Luke doesn't want to help, I won't force him," Ion was saying as the redhead tuned back in. "I'll go and negotiate with the ligers on my own. I can't allow this to pass."

"What?" Luke incredulously turned to the Fon Master.

"Thank you Fon Master," the elder cheagle bowed her head. "It means a great deal to us."

"Please tell Rose and the others not to worry. I'll be back soon enough," Ion firmly told Luke.

"Tch! Like hell you're going alone!" Luke crossed his arms. "What are you- crazy?"

Ion look at the redhead, smiling softly. "Thank you, Luke. I'm really sorry to have to drag you into all of this."

Luke flushed. "W-Whatever. It's not like I have anything better to do!"

But they both knew it was a lie.

The elder cheagle blinked. "Well since you're both going, why don't you stay here for the night?"

"That's a wonderful idea," Ion gazed at Luke. "Is that okay with you?"

Luke twisted his face. "Why are you asking me? I don't care." _Man...it's just one thing after another..._

Ion smiled again. "Alright. We'll rest and regain our strength for tomorrow."

"Speak for yourself," Luke sharply told him, eyeing the exhausted manner in which the green-haired boy's shoulders hung. "I don't want you passing out on me, got it?"

Ion nodded, not at all surprised by the redhead's worry. He turned to wander around the inside of the tree grove, his smile falling off his face as soon as he did so. He brought a hand to his chest, trying to figure out why the humming in his chest Luke's proximity caused, had suddenly increased.

Could it possibly be a God-General?

Ion frowned. No, that couldn't be it. What reason would a God-General have to be lurking in the Cheagle Woods?

The Fon Master shook his head at himself.

What a foolish idea.

* * *

Night had fallen.

Luke lie wide awake in the darkness of the tree grove, listening to the breathing of the cheagles as they slept. He didn't know _how _a creature so small could snore so loudly! They sounded like Asch when he was eating!

Luke's expression suddenly fell.

_Asch huh... _

With all that had happened during the day, Luke didn't dwell long on the fact that he wasn't with his twin. He had been focused on surviving and the loss of his hair and John and... well, a lot of stuff. But now that he finally got a moment's rest, it was odd. Though Luke tried his best not to see Asch while living in the manor, they always managed to run into one another. Asch- despite the asshole he was- had always been there. A looming presence that spat words of hatred and looks of disgust in his direction every chance he got, making Luke spit equal words of hate back.

And now all of that was simply...gone.

Not that Luke missed it.

He'd lay in his bed back in Baticul and wonder what his life would be like if he was the only child born in the Fabre household. Probably a lot nicer. Everyone would respect him like they did Asch; their dad might like him a little bit more too. Would Guy still be his best friend?

Luke sighed and rolled onto his side, bandaged arm beneath his head. He looked at Ion lying curled beside Mieu. The Fon Master was sleeping, face at ease. Luke frowned as he watched the boy. What was he thinking, offering to help the cheagles? He didn't have a weapon for Score's sake! Sure Mieu had his weird fire thing going on but would that actually keep them safe from persistent monsters?

Footsteps shook him out of his thought. It wasn't Ion because the Fon Master was still asleep. And cheagles didn't have feet...right?

_What...what if it's a monster? _Luke worried, clenching his fingers. He was completely defenseless! The redhead tilted his head back, catching sight of a shifting shadow from his upside-down angle. He didn't move. Maybe if he played dead...

The shadow in the dark wasn't a monster.

Luke's eyes widened as the figure drew near. A human, tall and walking confidently in his direction. Luke was startled once the figure was close enough and the features on their face could be seen. A firm jaw, dark emerald eyes... their long red hair was darker than Luke's own, and the bangs that would have normally fallen into their eyes had been combed up in short spikes.

_Asch_, is what Luke almost opened his mouth to say. But he stopped.

This wasn't Asch.

Luke didn't know how he could tell, but he knew, looking at this redhead, that it wasn't the Asch he knew. He quickly deduced that he must have gone to sleep while thinking on the problem of the cheagles and ligers. Strange. He would have at least felt _some _tired pull before blacking out, wouldn't he? Oh well.

Dreaming was weird to Luke. He'd always hear that stupid voice at one point or another, and see flashes of gold and red. The most normal dream he ever had was one of Guy proposing to Natalia and then them getting married in Luke's place. A mass of blonde haired babies had surrounded them soon after as they laughed and made merry. Luke vaguely remembered himself in the background, changing a diaper.

That was a dream Luke woke screaming to.

However, Luke never had a dream about himself before. Well- there was a first for everything, right?

"You don't look too surprised to see me," the redhead walking towards him said.

"Who are you supposed to be? Asch?" Luke asked.

The redhead smirked. "Don't compare me to him."

Luke eyed him but made no move to get up. "You sure sound like him," he retorted. How many times had Asch said that to anyone commenting on their twin likeness? "Man, can't you at least leave me alone in my own dream?"

Asch's reflection stopped above his head, staring down at his face with his smirk still in place. "Dream? Yeah- I guess I could. But I won't."

Luke scowled. "Great."

Quiet reigned for several _long _moments.

"Well?" Luke prodded, a little irritated that his dream seemed to be making little progress. "Aren't you gonna...I dunno, do something?"

"What am I supposed to do?" Asch's reflection folded his arms and leaned to the side. "I came here for my own reasons. Should I tell you what they are?"

Luke made a face. "Are you making fun of me?"

Asch's reflection grinned. "Maybe."

Luke stared up at him in partial shock. Had Asch _ever _grinned in front of him? No, he definitely hadn't. Luke 's eyes turned hard and he glowered at the reflection. "Hey. Just who the hell are you supposed to be anyway?"

A hand reached out to touch his face as the other redhead bent over. Cold fingers rested on his cheek. "Family."

Luke looked into the pair of eyes so strikingly similar to his own. "Wha...?" was all he could find in him to say.

Family? _Family? _This was most certainly not Asch, no matter how much they acted or sounded alike. That was one word that would never cross his older brother's lips. If this wasn't Asch then Luke must've been talking to a reflection of himself. Yeah. That sounded more likely, though it upped the oddness of the situation to a whole new level.

The prominent coldness of the fingers on his face finally tore him from his wandering mind.

"Why are you still touching me?" he couldn't help but ask.

His reflection chuckled and removed his hand. "No reason. Did you know your cheeks are full of baby fat? You plan on losing it any time soon?"

"What**?**!" Luke loudly exclaimed.

His reflection laughed. "People are going to start calling you chubby cheeks if you don't lay off the sweets. Not to mention the fact that you're so short... Natalia's taller than you, isn't she?" he teased. "You should invest in vegetables."

"I hate vegetables. And anyway, people don't talk to me much. Shouldn't you know that?" Luke noticed Ion shifting out the corner of his eye. That was weird. Shouldn't the Fon Master stay still or something if it was Luke's dream?

His reflection then asked a strange question.

"Your life's been hard, hasn't it?"

"...I guess..."

Luke was confused, but figured there was no harm in speaking to himself. Plenty of others did it when they were particularly troubled- or so Guy had said. But Luke had never doubted Guy, and he wasn't about to start now.

"I got myself into a mess. I didn't think the Fon Master would still be in the Woods when I came," he lowered his voice, not wanting to wake Ion who slept twenty feet away, even if he was only part of his dream. "I wanted to find John and leave."

"You'll find things rarely go your way," his reflection wisely replied.

"Yeah..." Luke breathed out softly. He gazed at his reflection for a while longer before closing his eyes. "I'm tired of it."

A hand ran through the front of his hair, an oddly comforting gesture whereas before it'd been foreign and uncomfortable. "Me too. You'll find that it'll change soon enough though," his reflection said.

"Really?"

"It will."

Luke kept his eyes closed, finding them too heavy to try and open again. Very weird. Why was he so tired in his own dream? He breathed out again, much softer than before. "How do...you know?"

The hand paused, tangled in his bangs. "Because you and I..." Luke faintly heard his reflection hesitate, then laugh quietly. "Well. We're the same you and I."

"We...are...?"

"Yeah."

"I guess we are. Since it's a...dream an' all..." Luke muttered.

"Get some rest. You're going to talk to ligers tomorrow, aren't you?"

"Yeah..."

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. I'm sure your brother wouldn't let anything _too _bad happen to you."

"Asch...would definitely..." Luke drifted off.

Silence reigned over the pair for several minutes.

The redhead who had been leaning over him finally sat back, carefully removing his fingers from Luke's hair. He stood, eyes hardening. "Van will pay. You have my word. I refuse to lose you too." He pivoted on his heel and silently left the grove of the tree, blending in with the night until he had melted into the shadows entirely.

Luke didn't hear a single word, lost in a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry if it wasn't very exciting. Hopefully the next chapter will be. Everyone's going to finally be reunited!**

**The chapter was rushed, so I'll apologize for that too. If it bothered you, don't hesitate to let me know.**

**:)**


	6. Chapter Five

**A/N: Ohhh man, lol, I swear this is the last time I'll be typing up such a monster chapter. It just about killed me. That being said, I hope you enjoy it. But know that the next ones will be considerably shorter- and hey- that means faster updates for all of you :)**

**Also, I've been known to abuse line breaks. This chapter is no exception- sorry ^-^u**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. **

* * *

Chapter Five: Let's Get Ready Rumble!

* * *

When Luke woke, the darkness was gone and the air was filled with sounds of waddling cheagles and chirping birds. He laid on his back for several minutes, trying to place where he was and what was going on. The ground was hard beneath him and very uncomfortable. What the hell had he slept on last night?

The events from the day before flashed through his mind.

Oh. Cheagles, ligers, killer birds, rabid wolves, the Fon Master, John... Right.

The Cheagle Woods.

They were still inside it. And now they had to go make peace with a bunch of monsters.

Luke could already tell this would be a _wonderful _day.

He slowly sat himself up and brought his fingers to his face, feeling the ghost of cold hand. His eyes widened. "Asch..." he mumbled. He dispelled the thought. No, it hadn't been Asch. He remembered now; it had been himself. Luke shuddered and stopped touching his face. He could still feel the frigid . No dream should have left anything like that behind.

He really hoped it went away.

"Luke," his name was called. The redhead looked to his left to see the Fon Master.

"Ion," Luke said as way of a reply. He stood.

"Are you ready to leave?" Ion asked as he walked over, Mieu riding on his shoulder.

"Huh? What about breakfast?" Luke questioned.

Ion apologetically smiled. "We'll have to find something to eat on our way. I'm sorry."

"Well that sucks," Luke mumbled.

"I'm really sorry," Ion said again.

"Quit apologizin'," Luke said, embarrassed. He stretched his arms high above his head and tested the durability of his injured one. It didn't hurt save for a pang of pain here and there. He faced the Fon Master when he was done. "Alright, I'm good to go. Let's get this over with."

"Mieu! This should be fun!" the blue cheagle cheered.

A vein popped on Luke's forehead. "Shut up Thing! Nothing about this is _fun_!"

Mieu innocently blinked at the redhead. "Is Master upset?"

"Are you still calling me that? Whatever, forget it. These damn ligers better be willing to cooperate," Luke grouched as he stalked outside the tree grove. "I'm not making this trip out for nothing."

Ion sighed. "I hope they cooperate too." _Otherwise we'll have trouble..._

* * *

"That's a big tree," Tear commented aloud, her head tilted back. "I wonder how it grew to be so big..."

"Does it matter?" Asch scoffed, walking towards the large entrance at its base.

Tear resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him as she followed. "You've been in a bad mood since this morning, Asch."

"Of course I have," Asch irritatingly scratched at a bug bite on his arm. "We had to sleep in these stupid woods!"

"At least no monsters attacked."

"Yeah, well, whatever," Asch grumbled, having nothing to say in return.

They entered the tree grove, startling the cheagles inside and causing them to scatter and run off. Tear blushed intensely at the sight and had to forcibly restrain herself from reaching out and grabbing one. Her blush only deepened when she saw the odd look Asch was giving her.

"What's with you?" he asked.

Tear averted her gaze. "N-Nothing."

Asch squinted his eyes at her, about to pry further, but a hoarse voice stopped him.

"Back so soon? Did you forget something perhaps?"

Both Asch and Tear blinked before looking down. A cheagle, violet in color, looked curiously at them.

"Ah..." the cheagle tilted her head. "You are not the same as the one who came before. Mieu is not with you and neither is the Fon Master."

"Fon Master?" Asch fixed the cheagle with a sharp look. "You mean they were here? And who's this..._Mieu_?"

"He is a young cheagle I sent with the Fon Master and his redheaded comrade," the elder elaborated. "They left little over a half an hour ago in order to negotiate with the ligers."

Tear looked alarmed. "Negotiate? I'm sorry, but do you please think you could fill us in on the situation? We've been looking for our companions for quite some time now."

"Of course," the cheagle elder said. She gave them a brief overview of the events which transpired.

"I see," Tear said when she finished. "Thank you for telling us."

"It was no problem," the elder replied.

Asch could scarcely believe his ears. And _Luke _had the nerve to complain about taking detours? That dreck really did do whatever he wanted, didn't he?

"It doesn't sound like they've gotten too far. If we hurry we can catch up with them," Tear said, already turning to leave.

Asch gruffly crossed his arms. "It's just one thing after another, isn't it?"

* * *

Luke led the way through a grassy path, Mieu propped on his shoulder chatting the redhead's ear off.

"And then all the other cheagles ran off to play without even asking me if I wanted to come along. The Cheagle Elder said it was my fault because I brought the ligers here."

"Well of course it's your fault. You burned their home down!"

"Mieu...but not on purpose!"

"Look _Thing_- I could accidentally blow my house up, but it doesn't mean it's not my fault."

"But everyone's so mean to me! My friends won't talk to me anymore..."

Luke stopped walking, popping a vein. He turned his head to snap at Mieu, "I wouldn't talk to you anymore either! Your 'friends' are being hauled off by these stupid ligers as payment for what you've done!"

Mieu puffed out his cheeks. "I'm going to make it right! Watch me Master!"

"Yeah, whatever Thing..."

"I will, I will!"

During the course of this conversation, Ion had been trailing a couple of feet behind the redhead and cheagle. It wasn't because he didn't feel well or was tired from the walk; he was just trying to stay out of the way lest Luke irritate Mieu to the point where the cheagle would spit out another blast of fire at him. Ion barely dodged the flame the first time it happened- he wouldn't take the risk again.

But now as Ion walked, his eyes were trained on the redhead's waist. He had just noticed a black bag slung around him along with a sheath above it, though the sheath was empty. It answered the question of why Luke had never pulled his own weapon out during their unfortunate encounters with monsters, but it didn't answer what exactly the black bag was.

And Luke had never brought it up. The Fon Master had a half mind to think that Luke didn't realize he had it on.

"Master, master, will you protect me if the ligers attack?"

"The ligers aren't going to attack. We're going to negotiate with them, _remember_?"

"But what if they do?"

"Shut up will you? You're so annoying!"

"Luke..." Ion hesitatingly interrupted, looking at the black pouch strapped around the older boy's waist. "What's that?"

"Huh?" Luke brought a hand to where the Fon Master's eyes were trained. His brows flew high on his forehead. "I totally forgot I had this!"

Mieu opened and shut his large eyes. "I noticed you had it."

A vein began to throb on Luke's neck. "Shut up!"

"Is it something important?" Ion questioned.

"It's a pack with some medicine inside," Luke replied. _And my diary... _"I can't believe I didn't remember..." he dejectedly mumbled.

Ion smiled in exasperation. "Well at least you know now. Why don't you use some of the medicine inside to treat your arm?"

Luke blinked. "Good idea." A wide grin spread across his face. "Hey- you're pretty smart for a kid!"

A small vein appeared on the Fon Master's brow. "Smarter than you anyhow."

"Heh." Luke's eye twitched. "Good comeback, punk."

Ion smiled sweetly in return. "Don't you think?"

They stared at one another for several moments, then turned aside, hiding sounds of laughter.

After a couple of seconds, they continued on their walk through the Woods, Luke rummaging through his pack to pull out an apple gel. He had just fumbled one out when a low caw sounded ominously behind them.

Luke froze mid-step, a shudder racking his body.

He and Ion faced the source of the noise, Mieu hiding behind the Fon Master's legs.

A bird glared at them, opening and shutting its massive butchering knife-shapped beak.

"That doesn't look friendly," Ion said in a low voice.

"Trust me- it's not," Luke muttered.

This bird looked just like the one that had chopped off half his hair during his first day in the Cheagle Woods. It had the same maniac glint in its eye too. In fact... Luke slowly scowled as he noticed something else about the bird.

"Luke? What's wrong?"

"This thing... I've run into it before."

"I don't think it's the same one Luke," Ion sweatdropped. "The woods are filled with a variety of the same species."

"No," Luke took a step back, pushing the Fon Master with him, "this is definitely the same one."

"How can you tell? Ion was beginning to think his redhead companion was a bit paranoid. Then Luke raised a hand, pointing to the bird's butcher-beak where several strands of red could be seen caught on its blade. Ion blinked, his brows lowering soon after. "What are the odds..." he mumbled.

"There's not a lot of room to fight either," Luke noticed in slight frustration. He pushed Ion away from him, looking at the boy over his shoulder. "Stay here and don't move. I don't want that thing attacking you."

Ion frowned. "What about you?"

Luke glanced at the bird, annoyed. "I'll have to drive the stupid monster off. Otherwise it'll keep following us."

"...Right."

"Come on Thing," Luke said to the blue cheagle, holding out his arm. The cheagle jumped onto him and scurried to his shoulder, where it clung fearfully.

"Master, is that bird going to kill us?"

Luke pulled a face. "Let's hope not," was all he grumbled before running straight at the deadly creature. Luke wondered briefly where his own fear at facing a monster in battle had gone. Here he was unarmed and in danger for the third time, but less afraid than he'd been in Tataroo Valley. Maybe because he had someone to protect? Or was it that he didn't want to look bad in front of the Fon Master?

Either way- Luke wouldn't let himself be beaten!

The bird, though surprised at the frontal assault, danced to the side- and with reflexes faster than anything that size should possess- jumped up and made a slash at Luke's face. Luke barely jerked his head aside in time, the beak slicing a thin line into his cheek, and hacking off a chunk of the bangs which hung in front his brow.

Triumphantly the bird screeched and tittered on its feet a ways from the livid redhead.

Luke howled with rage, eyes murderous as they locked onto the prancing bird. "I'll kill that thing!"

"Are you alright?" Ion called from the other side of the path.

Luke didn't seem to hear him.

"My hair! Why the hell does it keep coming for my hair!"

Mieu saw his Master's clear distress and swung around to glare at the monster attacking them. "You'll pay for that!" he decided. "Mieu, mieu!"

The bird indignantly squawked.

"Mieu!"

Mieu and the bird charged at one another at the same time.

"Miiiiieeeeeeeeeeeuuuuuuu! I will protect Master and his friend!"

The bird almost ripped the cheagle's head off.

"Mieu!" Ion frantically exclaimed.

The cheagle smacked the ground, but rolled onto his tiny feet within the next second. He trembled in fright. "I-I'll go find some help!" he shrilly cried before vanishing through the trees.

"Oh a fat load of help that thing is!" Luke angrily snapped as the bird fixed its attention onto him again. "Damn... Looks like I have no choice." He began to sprint in the Fon Master's direction. "Ion!"

Ion opened his mouth as the redhead ran up to him. "Yes?"

"Give me this!" Luke growled, snatching the staff from the boy.

Ion held out a hand, an odd sense of deja vu working its way in the recesses of his mind. "Luke-" he started to say, then stopped. There was no point in trying to talk to the redhead now- he was already in the middle of the pathway again; far too worked up.

And so was the bird.

Luke and the monster stood locked in a battle of wills and glares. The bird reared its head and then cawed painfully loud. It kicked its leg backwards in a repetitive motion as if building up speed; shooting forward in the next instant.

But the redhead was more than ready this time.

He dodged to the side and pivoted on his heel, raising Ion's staff high above him. "Get outta here and don't come back!" Luke hollered, smashing the bird soundly on its head.

The bird shrieked in anger and skittered back five feet. It glowered and snapped its beak ferociously, looking from the redhead to the Fon Master, both who looked unwilling to give in. Deciding it wasn't worth the trouble, the bird squawked one last time at the pair before turning tail and running off.

Ion sighed and sank to his knees. "Thank Yulia..."

Luke suspiciously watched the tree trunks the bird had vanished in between to make sure the monster was gone for good. "I hate that thing," he said. "I really, _really _do."

"I'm sure it feels the same way," Ion replied. "Let's hope it doesn't come back."

"Yeah." Luke turned from the trees to look at the Fon Master. A small hint of worry crossed his features and he walked over. "Hey- are you okay?"

"I'm fine. All that commotion just wore me out."

"If you say so..." Luke noticed the troubled look on the boy's face and quickly changed the subject, planting a hand on his waist and loudly saying, "Heh. Bet you're glad I came along with you now, huh?"

"I am. Although I'm going to have to protest to you using my staff as a weapon again," Ion told him with a smile.

"Sorry," Luke grumbled, handing the Fon Master his staff back. He tripped over a strip of his ripped pants in the process and almost failed to regain his balance. When he did, however, the look on his face was anything but joyful.

Ion tilted his head. "What's wrong?"

"Man! My clothes are ruined!" Luke exclaimed, holding up one tattered end of his jacket. "Look at this!"

Ion exasperatedly smiled, seeing that nothing serious was wrong. "You should be glad that's the only thing that was torn off. That bird was vicious."

Luke cast him a sore look. "And whose fault is it that we didn't run away as soon as we saw it?"

"I honestly had no idea the creatures here could be so aggressive."

"The _cheagles _were aggressive and they're the most harmless things in this damn place!"

Ion finally stood, brushing what dirt he could from his robes as he balanced himself with his staff. He glanced over at Luke through thick green bangs. "Well you know what they say. You live and learn a little each day. Dying's only half of it."

"_What?"_

Ion brought a finger to his chin, looking off to the side. "Maybe I said it wrong...?"

Luke looked at him, brow twitching. "Maybe."

Ion lightly shrugged and dropped his hand. "At any rate, you and I are both alive."

"Yeah, whatever, I know," Luke grumbled. He grasped his hair with a scowl. "But would you look at this? It gets shorter every time! I can't fight like this," he continued to complain, holding the jagged ends of his bangs away from his face. "Ion- you have anything useful?"

"Useful?"

"Yeah. Like a band or something..."

"...All I have is this," Ion said, offering a gold ribbon from within his robe. "Anise gave it to me for safe-keeping, though I'm not sure why. Do you want to use it?"

"Anise?" Luke eyed the ribbon. He really didn't want to take it, but his hair was steadily growing worse.

"My Fon Master Guardian."

Luke thought back to the girl they met at the Inn in Engeve. "Oh- I met her!"

Ion blinked. "You did?"

"Yeah. I didn't get to talk to her much. She ran off looking for you."

"Ah..." Ion smiled. "That sounds like her. She mentioned being told where to find me by a couple of strangers. I didn't know it was you."

"Surprise," Luke said. He finally took the ribbon from the Fon Master, sighing as he tied his hair in a low tail. "So?" He reluctantly looked at Ion. "How do I look?"

Ion blinked, trying not to chuckle. "You look g-good."

A vein appeared on the side of Luke's head. "Really?"

Ion's smile grew wider. "Yes."

Luke pulled the green-haired boy into a headlock, the vein now throbbing. "What are you laughing at?_!"_

Ion laughed somewhat sheepishly in the redhead's hold, unable to keep his mouth shut anymore. "You hair looks like that bird we ran into."

"What!"

This time Ion let himself laugh heartily. "T-The bangs and e-everything!" he managed to get out.

Luke popped another vein. "Laugh it up you little-"

"Master! Master! I'm back! And look what I found!"

_"Luke?"_

A confused voice from behind the pair caused them to stop in their antics. Luke released his grip on Ion, the Fon Master straightening up and peering past the taller redhead to see who had spoken. Luke turned around to do the same.

His eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"Tear? _Asch?"_

Sure enough it was them, Mieu riding comfortably on a blushing Tear's shoulder. The cheagle looked pleased with what he'd discovered while running from the bird, and jumped off of Tear to waddle his way to where Luke and Ion stood.

"Are you surprised Master?" Mieu innocently asked.

Luke's eyebrow couldn't stop twitching. "Yeah... you could say that."

Tear was stunned, to say in the least. She had expected to find Luke and the Fon Master at the mercy of monsters, not rough-housing it out. Especially the Fon Master! He looked so delicate and frail! But the two seemed well enough and very alive, even if they did look worse for wear. The Fon Master's robes were streaked in dirt and small blotches of blood; his face partially scratched. Luke, however, looked like he got the brunt of whatever attacks they had dealt with. His jacket was torn, his pantlegs shredded and one arm bandaged. There was more blood on his clothes than the Fon Master's; more cuts and bruises too. And his hair...

Whatever happened to his hair?

Asch barely recognized the shorter redhead in front him. He had an identical face, same as always, but his disposition was different than before. He wasn't slouching around waiting to be rescued; he didn't look defeated. He looked _confident_. The word sent a bitter rush through Asch and he scowled. Without further ado, he stepped forward and glowered at his twin.

"So you didn't die after all, dreck."

"Too bad for you, huh?" Luke shot back. He folded his arms across his chest, suddenly feeling all the positive energy he held disappear and replace itself with feelings of negativity. Standing here, face-to-face with his older brother, Luke found his mind flashing back to the night before. The redhead that showed himself in his dream, so similar to Asch, yet so different that Luke could only conclude that it had been himself...

Hearing Asch's voice here and now brought a torrential downpour of doubts on top him. Had that been Asch he dreamed about? No, it couldn't have been. The redhead had grinned; called him _family_. It had to have been himself he was listening to.

Or...

Luke frowned.

Had it simply been an un-manifested desire of what he wished his twin was really like?

Luke shook his head to clear the confusing thoughts.

"Luke?" Ion placed a hand on his uninjured arm, looking up at him. "Are you alright?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah. I'm...fine."

Ion didn't believe him but left the matter alone, removing his hand to look at the newcomers. "You're...Tear and...Asch?" He remembered them briefly from Rose's cottage and concluded that they must have come into the Woods looking for Luke. The only reason he knew their names was because Luke had said them aloud.

"Yes," Tear stepped forward and brought a hand to her chest, smiling lightly. "I'm Locrian Sergeant Tear Grants, First Platoon of the Oracle Knights Intelligence Division."

Asch did a double-take.

Ion blinked. "Oh- I've heard of you. You work under Grand Maestro Mohs' command, correct?"

Tear nodded. "Yes, that's-"

"Hold on a second!" Asch sharply intervened. His brows were furrowed deeply. "Tear Grants? Isn't that Van's last name?"

Tear reluctantly looked at him. "Yes... I'm his younger sister."

Luke, who had been paying little attention up to this point, now snapped to the ready, staring at Tear in disbelief. "_What? _You're his sister?"

She sharply eyed him. "I don't see why you sound so surprised."

"Of course I'm surprised! You tried to kill him!"

Tear averted her gaze. "That's...none of your concern, Luke."

"I'm sorry," Ion warily looked in between them. "Should I not have brought it up?"

"It's not something I want to drag anyone else into," Tear answered, forcing a smile on her face for the sake of the young boy. She really didn't want to reveal her complete identity to the twins, but it would be rude not to fully introduce herself to the Fon Master. He was someone worthy of her respect and she would show it to him. "Please, don't worry about it, Fon Master."

Ion gave her a small smile back. "Alright."

Luke remained disgruntled however, and gave the soldier the stink-eye. "I don't believe you," he said.

Tear narrowed her eyes at him. "Excuse me?"

"There's no way you're related to Master Van! He would've mentioned you or- or something!"

"Would you have mentioned Asch if I'd never met him?" Tear fired in return.

Luke made a face. Damn. He'd lost that argument. But speaking of his twin... He looked at Asch, a frown working its way across his battered features. His brother noticed him staring and scowled.

"What are _you _looking at?"

"Nothing," Luke defensively replied, beginning to glare. "Just wondering why you bothered coming into the Woods in the first place."

Distaste curled the older Fon Fabre's lips. "It wasn't to look for you, dreck, that's for sure. Though I didn't expect you to wind up bringing the Fon Master along with you."

"I didn't. I ran into him while searching for John!"

Tear tilted her head at the name. "John... we ran into a young boy while looking for you, Luke," she said to the redhead.

"You did? W-Was he okay?" Luke's face was one of partial guilt and concern.

If Tear was taken aback by the abrupt change in attitude, she said nothing and only answered his question. "He looked a little worse for wear. But other than that, perfectly fine. He went back to Engeve."

"Oh... good," Luke brought his gaze to his feet. To be honest, he had completely forgotten about the other boy, caught up in the situation with the Fon Master and cheagles. This did nothing to ease his guilt but the fact that he seemed to be fine lifted some of the weight off his shoulder. Maybe he could stop by and see Miriam and John when everything was done in the Cheagle Woods.

"The Cheagle Elder informed us of your mission," Tear went on to say, lightly breaking into his thoughts. "Are you heading for the ligers?"

"Yes!" Mieu excitedly chirped, finally able to get a word in. "We're going to ask them to leave the woods!"

Tear couldn't stop the blush from dusting her cheeks pink. "How thoughtful of you."

Luke rolled his eyes. "It's not thoughtful. The Thing's the one who burned their house down."

"Thing?" Tear looked offended. "Luke- you can't call him that! That's rude!"

"It's what he is," Luke carelessly replied.

Asch laughed under his breath, unkindly. "Yeah Tear, you don't see the dreck over here complaining about what _he _is."_  
_

Luke shot him a vicious look. "And what the hell is that?"

"Worthless; a piece of trash." Asch raised a brow at the angered expression his twin bore. "What's with that look? You've known this for how many years now?"

"That's not what I am!"

"Not a dreck then?" Asch cocked his head and let a slow smirk form on his face. "How about ill-omen? We haven't heard that name used in a while. I'd almost forgotten about it if that stupid stranger from that coach hadn't said it."

"Don't call me that!"

"It's what you are!" Asch barked.

"Shut up! I'm sick and tired of you making fun of me all the time!" Luke snapped. He didn't want Ion to think less of him; he didn't want Asch's insults to engrave themselves in the Fon Master's mind. Ion was someone whose company the younger Fon Fabre truly enjoyed, and he _wouldn't _let his older brother screw up the small friendship he had formed.

Asch scoffed, unimpressed. "Oh yeah? Well why don't you do something about it?"

"Maybe I will!"

"Then stop talking and come at me!"

"Please don't fight," Ion worriedly said, glancing at both redheads. Luke's hostility caught him off guard, and from the look Mieu wore, it was something the blue cheagle wasn't used to seeing either. And why would it be something they were used to? Luke had been nothing but kind, if a little loud and obnoxious at times.

"We should let them get it out of their system," Tear said, not looking entirely too concerned. "Otherwise we'll be stuck listening to them argue for the rest of the day."

"If you think that'll help..." Ion reluctantly replied. He and Tear walked out of hitting range, Mieu snuggled comfortably in the soldier's arms.

Luke glowered and folded his arms, jutting his weight to the side. "How is this fair? I don't have a weapon."

"Don't get your baby knickers in a knot," Asch retorted, unbelting his sheath from his waist. He pulled out his wooden sword and tossed it at his brother. "Use that. If you think it'll do you any good."

Luke caught the sword. "Why'd you give me this? Now you don't have anything."

Asch smirked and held up his sheath. "I don't need anything but _this _to thrash you."

Luke popped a vein.

Asch smugly beckoned to him. "Well?"

Luke twitchingly grinned, gripping the wooden sword in his left hand so hard his knuckles turned white. "Shut up you over-sized pampered melon head."

A pregnant pause.

And then they lunged.

They ran at one another, Asch with his sheath at his side, Luke with the wooden sword raised. They let out similar yells of rage.

"I'll end you!" Asch raged.

"Just try it!" Luke yelled.

Asch's sheath was surprisingly hard and more than enough to send Luke's vision spinning as it smacked him upside the head. Stumbling a bit, Luke narrowly avoided the next swipe at his face and swung the wooden sword around. A satisfied grin spread across his features as it slammed into Asch's side, leaving him thoroughly winded.

"Ha! In your ugly face!" Luke jeered.

"Dreck," Asch growled. "Don't get ahead of yourself!" He brought up his elbow and with a solid smash, knocked his twin's jaw in the opposite direction. As Luke reeled in pain, Asch raised his knee and drove it hard into the younger redhead's stomach. Luke gasped for air.

"How do you like it now?" Asch taunted with a haughty smirk.

Luke snarled something inaudible and staggered back a few steps, clutching as his gut with one hand, the other holding tightly to his weapon. "I'll knock that stupid smirk off you asshole!"

"Bring it you piece of trash!"

Ion watched the two go at it with a hesitant look. "Are you sure they're just sparring?"

Tear also followed the twins' movements, rough, unflinching. "I'm...not sure."

"Mieu...is Master playing a game?" the blue cheagle curiously asked.

Tear absently rubbed his head. "No Mieu, they're not."

Asch and Luke glared at one another for only a moment before racing forward and raising their respective weapons.

"_Fang Blade!"_ they roared.

The twin artes collided in a deafening clash, illuminated the area in a bright blue flash. An explosion rocked the clearing and by the time the light cleared, both redheads could be seen flying on opposite sides backwards from the blast. Asch landed roughly on his spine as Luke slammed on his side, both letting out loud noises of pain.

The dust settled, and Tear, deeming it safe to intervene, walked in between them as they stood, prepared to attack again.

Asch rolled his eyes. "Oh what do _you _want?"

"Yeah," Luke snappishly agreed. "I wasn't done yet."

Tear gave them equally stern looks, setting Mieu on the ground. "That's enough 'sparring'. You're going to scare off the animals nearby."

"Good," Asch muttered. "They're annoying anyway."

"Just like you," Luke grumbled.

Asch punched him in the face.

* * *

_-At the Coastline-_

* * *

"I see. So you have no clue where he went either."

"He told me he'd be gone for a couple of hours. It's been a day."

"Well I'm sure he'll be back in time for the operation; he's probably on his way now. And he knows better than anyone that he'll have to do what the Commandant wants in order to gain his trust."

Legretta frowned at the casual words. "You don't seem bothered by his lack of loyalty to Van," she said.

"You seem _too _bothered by his lack of loyalty," Sync retorted. "That guy can do what he wants. After all, we all have our own reasons for becoming God-Generals under the Commandant, don't we?"

Legretta's frown grew deeper. "Well yes, but..."

Largo sighed and pushed to his feet. He rested his blade across his neck, starting to walk down the cliff they were camped on.

Legretta and Sync paused in their talk to glance at him.

"Where are you going?" Sync asked.

"Bathroom. I won't take long."

"Don't get lost," Legretta warned.

Largo paused. "That only happened once; it was extremely dark out."

Sync snorted. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Largo rolled his eyes at the pair but heeded their words. It really wouldn't do to get lost before such an important job.

The large God-General disappeared down the backside of the cliff which led to a forested area. Legretta and Sync stood in a brief quiet, then turned their attention back to one another.

"Although we received word that the operation was to take place today," Legretta started to say, "There was never an indication as to a specific time. Would you happen to know anything about that?"

"Apparently the Tartarus is sitting empty in the middle of a field near Engeve. Neither Jade nor the Fon Master seem to be present. Once Arietta arrives, you should be able to move in close and monitor the landship's movements."

"And then?"

"Once the Necromancer and Fon Master return to the ship, that's when you'll attack." Sync walked over to the edge of the cliff, watching the clouds float by. "Any problems with that?"

"Where will you be?" Legretta asked, hand on her waist as she watched the boy.

Sync looked over his shoulder. "The Commandant needs me for something I'm not obliged to say."

Legretta slowly narrowed her eyes, having an inkling of an idea of what the Van wanted done. "Do you feel well enough?"

"Does it matter?" Sync turned his head back to the front, lowering his chin. "Ah. Here's Arietta."

Sure enough the pink-haired girl flew up on the back of a mighty griffon, a liger curled casually next to her. Her hair flew about her wildly as the griffon swooped higher into the air, circling the premises before landing lightly in the center of the cliff. Legretta walked over to her as Arietta slid off the griffon's back.

"How is your mother?" she asked, more out of politeness than anything else.

Arietta smiled up at her as her liger companion hopped off the griffon to stand beside her. "Mommy is doing fine. The eggs should hatch without problem," she said. She looked past Legretta to the taller green-haired boy at the cliff end. "Sync?"

He turned around and cocked his head. "I'm sure everything will turn out well."

Arietta nodded. "Largo is here?"

Sync nodded back. "He'll be back in a couple of minutes."

"Okay. Arietta will call her friends then," Arietta decidedly said.

Sync raised a brow beneath his mask, whirling around only after a piercing shriek sent his ears ringing. His eyes widened slightly. The clear blue sky that had once been void of anything but clouds, now swarmed with a mass of griffons, ligers perched at the ready upon their backs. Sync couldn't help but smirk, a hand on his waist as he glanced in Arietta's direction.

"You've outdone yourself," he said.

Arietta's face shone at the praise. "Arietta's friends are always willing to help!"

"Mind if I borrow one?"

Arietta shook her head and let out a soft whistle. One of the closer griffons deposited the liger onto the cliff ground before settling next to Sync.

"Thanks," Sync said, climbing on top.

Legretta watched him begin to fly off. "Take care of your mission well!" she called after him.

Sync waved a hand behind him. "Make sure you do the same!"

Then Sync was gone and Arietta and Legretta were left to wait for Largo. Silence hovered overhead for a couple of seconds, broken only by Arietta's curious questioning of:

"Where did Largo go?"

Legretta blinked. "Largo? He went to the bathroom."

Arietta blinked in return. "How long ago?"

Legretta brought a hand to her forehead. "Ten minutes..."

"...You don't think..."

"Probably," the blonde God-General sighed in light exasperation. "Of all the times to get his zipper stuck..."

* * *

_-In the Cheagle Woods-_

* * *

It was now the afternoon.

The rest of the treck to the Queen Liger's nesting area was spent catching one another up on recent events.

Meaning Ion and Tear explained to one another what happened over the course of two days while Luke and Asch bickered in the background. Mieu rode on top of Asch's head, holding tightly onto his soft crimson hair so that he wouldn't fall off everytime the older Fabre whipped his head in Luke's direction to bark out an insult.

If Asch noticed the cheagle on his head, he said nothing about it, too caught up in his argument.

"When I take control of Kimlasca, you'll be the first one I send to the dungeon!"

"Mother would never let you!"

"I'll be the new ruler! What I say goes!"

"Oh I can't _believe_ we even share the same face!" Luke snapped.

"I can't believe we share the same blood!" Asch snapped back.

"That's enough!" Tear snapped, coming to a halt. She set her hands on her hips and turned to face them. "The Liger Queen is just up ahead. If you want to irritate her with your childish bickering and get your heads torn off, then by all means go ahead. The Fon Master and I will gladly stay here with Mieu."

The blue cheagle perked at hearing his name, though his ears drooped significantly. "Mieu... I want to stay with Master though."

Tear flushed. "W-Well..."

"Hey look what you did," Luke said, furrowing his brows. "You made the thing sad!"

Tear's flush turned to one of annoyance. "Luke for the last time, Mieu is not a _thing_!"

But Luke was paying her no more attention, walking over to Asch to reach up and rub the blue cheagle's fluffy head. He grinned and laughed a bit, saying, "It's okay if I call you Thing, isn't it? If I call you by your name, I'll end up feeling like a human cheagle."

Mieu's eyes brightened. "Yes Master! I don't mind if you call me Thing!" he chirped.

Asch lifted his own hand and set it on top of Luke's, which had yet to remove itself from Mieu's head. Luke blinked and glanced at his older brother, startled. Asch stared at him, mouth pressed into a thin line.

Tear and Ion exchanged a baffled glance. Looking at the twins, standing basked in a ray of warm sunlight that had broken through the thick tree leaves above in such close proximity; Mieu flapping his ears adorably on Asch's head as he glanced in between the two brothers... well- it was utterly disturbing.

The only time they had ever been in close contact was when they were trying to kill one another.

Seeing this was certainly a change of pace.

"This is...different," Tear murmured.

"Is this really that unusual?" Ion lowly questioned. "Surely they don't always argue."

Tear sighed. "No...they do."

As if on cue, Luke released a high-pitched shriek and struggled to pull away from Asch- who was gripping his hand hard enough to shatter the bones inside. Asch's stare had turned into a dark glower, Mieu's ear flapping frantic.

"Master! What's wrong?"

"Aargh! Let go you bastard!" Luke yelled, trying in vain to tug away.

Asch narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip. "Don't touch me again."

"What are you- stupid? You're the one touching me!"

Asch scoffed and finally relented his iron grip on his twin, watching with his nose turned up as Luke rubbed his throbbing hand and cast his older brother a poor look. Then he glanced at the Fon Master and soldier who looked at him a bit startled. "Hey- are we near this stupid liger area yet?"

Mieu was the first to respond, energetically nodding his head. "We're here! We're here!"

"We are?" came the simultaneous response.

"Yup! It's just down that hill!"

Four pairs of eyes, three green, one blue, followed the cheagle's line of sight to a fairly steep dip in the earth to their right. They could see a large circle of lush trees and bushes surrounding a wide clearing, and now that they were no longer bickering or talking, could make out a faint noise, similar to the sound one might hear if they were sawing through a boulder.

"...What the hell is that noise?" Luke was the first to ask.

Mieu flapped his ears once. "That's the Liger Queen!"

"Queen? Are there others with her as well? Ion asked.

Mieu thoughtfully listened. "Mmm... nope! It's just her!"

"Odd..." Ion murmured, but no one heard him.

"Jeez... sounds like Asch when he sleeps," Luke muttered.

"Don't confuse me with yourself," Asch snorted.

Luke rolled his eyes but said nothing else, opting to start down the hill instead. Asch grumbled something inaudible and followed with Mieu now anxiously bouncing on shoulder. Tear and Ion exchanged a short look before catching up with the pair.

It didn't take long for the group of five to reach flat ground, and it took them even less time for them to head inside the clearing, Luke at the forefront. They had been walking in silence, listening to the Liger Queen's snores grow louder. And although none of them would admit it aloud they _all _felt some trepidation.

Luke pushed aside a particularly large leaf blocking his view inside the Queen's resting ground- and paused.

"Whoa...she's _huge_!" he exclaimed.

Asch and Tear agitatedly stopped behind him, almost mowing the younger redhead over because of his sudden stop. Ion, in the rear, wasn't too bothered, and peered around Asch and Tear to gaze at the slumbering Liger Queen.

"She seems to be resting," Ion said after a while.

"Obviously," Asch uttered, watching the way the Liger Queen's massive side rose and dropped. He trailed his gaze from her to the large nest beside her. His brows lowered. "That's a lot of eggs," he said.

"Huh?" Luke was confused at his twin's words. "Ligers lay eggs?"

Asch shot him a scathing look. "What are you- blind? There's a nest of them _right there_."

"Shut up!"

_"Shh!" _Tear sharply glared. "Do you want to wake her and make her angry?"

"We have to wake her anyway don't we?" Luke asked, expression disgruntled.

Asch scoffed at the two. "Ion's already handling that."

Tear and Luke froze. "What!" they exclaimed, turning as one in the direction of the Liger Queen. Sure enough, Ion was already walking in her direction, face set in determination and Mieu at his side.

"Ion!" Luke half whispered, half shouted. "Get the hell back here!"

The Fon Master ignored him and glanced down to the blue cheagle instead. "Mieu, do you think you could wake her up without angering her?" he questioned.

"Um..." Mieu furrowed his cheagle brows. "I can try." He waddled forth towards the giant beast. "Mieu...mieu, mieu, mieu..."

The Liger Queen stirred, cracking a large eye open to stare at the intruder. Upon realizing it was a cheagle, she bared her teeth and raised her head from where it rested on her front limbs, snarling loudly. She rumbled out low, short responses.

Mieu's ears drooped. "Mieu, mieu, mieu, mieu, mieu, mieu." He paused. "Mieu, mieu."

This struck a chord within the great beast. She released a giant roar and pushed to her feet, growling fiercely at the blue cheagle, her hackles raised in fury. Mieu flew back from the force of her roar, Ion kneeling to steady him as the others ran over.

"What? What did she say?" Luke frantically asked, not liking the sudden turn of events.

Mieu trembled uncontrollably. "She's really mad that I burned down her home. She said she's going to kill us- and feed us to her liger babies once they hatch!"

Tear and Asch's eyes turned to slits.

"This isn't good," Tear said.

"Yeah," Asch glanced to the nest of eggs. "Those things can't be allowed to be born here."

Ion nodded and looked to Mieu. "Could you ask her to relocate?"

"Y-Yes..." Mieu bravely waddled forward a couple of steps. "Mieu, mieu, mieu...mieu, mieu."

The Liger Queen's response was to roar again and stomp her clawed feet on the ground. The tremors from the action sent Luke fumbling for balance. Tear and Asch remained steady, though both had drawn their weapons and lowered into defensive stances. Luke was confused.

"Wait- what are you guys doing?"

"We have no choice but to fight," Tear replied. "The Liger Queen doesn't look like she plans on retreating."

"But what about the eggs?"

"Moron!" Asch barked without ever looking in his direction. "Ligers feed on human flesh. If those things hatch, they'll wipe Engeve out."

Luke stiffened. "W-What?"

The Liger Queen snarled and started to approach.

Luke ran in front of Ion and Mieu, not knowing what else he could do. He didn't have a weapon but he couldn't leave the only two in the clearing with a less chance of survival than him on their own. Ion was his friend and Mieu- well Luke really didn't want cheagle blood on his hands. Luke scanned the expanse of the clearing, his mind working furiously to find a means of escape should things get out of hand.

And then he saw it.

Stuck in the grassy earth just beyond the nest of eggs with rust built hard around the the hilt and half its wide blade, was a cutlass. Just like the one he wanted in Engeve! Luke glanced quickly to where his older brother and Tear stood, the latter beginning to gather her fonons. It looked like Asch was trying to figure out how to best strike down the Liger Queen with his wooden sword- without losing a limb in the process.

Luke bit his lower lip in indecision. He could go get the sword while the giant beast was distracted and join in the fight. But Luke knew better than anyone else- even if he didn't want to admit it- that Asch was the stronger fighter. He wasn't as clumsy and always fought to kill (although the only times Luke had seen Asch fight was against him so that might just be a thing between them).

_Damn it... _Luke thought. _I don't want to be left out of this fight but..._

The Liger Queen attacked, swiping a massive paw at Tear and Asch. They dodged, just barely.

"Asch!" Tear called, a fonic glyph appearing at beneath her feet. "Distract it so I can use my fonic artes!"

"Distract it?" Asch muttered with half-smirk as he studied his foe. "We'll see how well that turns out."

Luke kept looking from the cutlass to his brother, biting his lip to the point where it started to bleed. Behind him he heard Ion take in a sharp breath and Mieu let out a small whine. The Liger Queen was stomping left and right, her main focus Asch who was whacking the beast in vain anywhere he could. Even when Tear cast her fonic artes to momentarily halt the Queen's movements, Asch could do little to wound her.

It was all looking very bad.

"Oh screw it," Luke huffed. He looked over his shoulder at the Fon Master and cheagle, saying, "Stay here and don't get in the way."

"Luke?" Ion's eyes grew wide.

"Where are you going Master?" Mieu loudly asked, calling after the redhead who had already taken off for the cutlass. "Master!"

The shrill cry caught the attention of both Asch and the Liger Queen, and they swung their heads in unison towards the younger Fon Fabre. The Liger Queen growled seeing her nest of eggs being approached so quickly and went to charge at him, moving faster than she had before.

Asch's eyes widened briefly. "Stupid dreck!" he cursed, slashing fruitlessly at the Liger Queen's back Liger Queen roared and kicked her hind leg backwards, catching Asch in the stomach and sending him tumbling a good ten feet away. He cringed and tried to push to his feet, clutching his ribs. That stupid beast was _strong_. Using his wooden sword for balance, Asch struggled to get to his feet, spitting a wad of blood from his mouth. Through scattered bangs, he saw Tear cast a fonic arte at the Liger Queen, stopping it from getting any closer to Luke.

"Crap, crap, crap," Luke muttered as he circled the wide nest of liger eggs. He skidded to a halt in front the cutlass, and keeping an eye on the Liger Queen, yanked the sword out the ground.

Or tried to anyway.

"Whoa!" Luke stumbled slightly, his grip on the cutlass growing tighter. "It's stuck?"

"Luke!" Tear shouted. Her arte released its hold on the Queen. She hurried to re-gather her fonons as the Liger went back to her charge. Too slow!

Luke stood in terror as the Liger Queen loomed in front her nest and raised a paw teeming with sharp claws. "!"

The Liger Queen's howl echoed for miles; Ion started to run over.

Luke was smashed aside. "Aaaugh!" Blood splattered across the field.

"Luke!" Tear exclaimed.

"Master!" Mieu started to waddle over. A snarl from the Queen stopped him in his tracks. "M-Mieu!"

Asch growled in annoyance, irritated that the situation had grown even worse from the intervention of his thick-headed brother and the fact that it had taken him this long to shake of the pain from the Liger Queen's earlier attack on him. He pushed his bangs out of his face and stalked towards the giant beast. A blur of green caused him to pause. A crease appeared in his forehead.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," he grouched. This was turning into a nightmare.

Luke lay behind the nest, grabbing at his previously wounded arm which now bled profusely through the dirty bandages. The cutlass, having been knocked loose along with a good portion of the redhead's brain cells, was at his side. Tear had moved in on the Liger Queen from the rear, same as Asch, intending to use her bladed staff and get in close contact with the beast. As for Ion...

He was standing in front of the Liger Queen's nest, arms spread out. If the Queen wanted to take a swipe at Luke again, she'd have to go through him and her nest of eggs to do it.

"Fon Master- what are you doing?" Tear shouted in alarm.

Asch picked up his pace. Maybe he could hit the Liger Queen on her backside and draw the attention of this fight back to him?

"I-Ion...get out of the..." Luke held a hand out as if he were going to forcibly drag the boy down.

The Fon Master remained unyielding, staring without hesitation into the Queen's eyes. His shaking fingers betrayed his fear.

"D-Dammit Ion! _Move!_" Luke pushed to his feet with a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins and lunged across the nest of eggs, grabbing the Fon Master by the collar of his robes and yanking him backwards. They collapsed onto the eggs harshly, a sickening crunch resounding throughout the clearing. But Luke wasn't thinking about this. He was watching the Liger Queen tremble in rage and prepare to pounce. Luke scrambled to his feet, kicking egg shells and dampening his pant legs as he went, hauling both himself and the Fon Master out of the nest.

The Liger Queen's paw destroyed the part where they had previously been laying.

Luke stared wide-eyed at the damage, thankful that it wasn't them who'd just been crushed. Then he scowled and glared down at the Fon Master beneath him, a headache pounding at his skull. He ignored it in favor of shouting, "Hey! What the hell were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry Luke," Ion frowned. "But you were in danger. And you're hurt."

"Tch. Nothing I can't handle," Luke muttered, though in truth his arm was throbbing so hard he could barely lift it, and his vision swarmed.

"Quit talking you two and move out the way!" Asch shouted at them from on top the Liger Queen's shoulders.

Luke and Ion blinked. Tear had once again stopped the Liger Queen's movement, enabling Asch to climb aboard.

"Dreck!"

Luke looked at his brother as he herded Ion in the opposite direction, a frown tugging at his lips. "What?"

"Toss me that sword!"

Luke noticed Asch's eyes fixed on the cutlass. He didn't really want to take orders from his brother, but this was hardly the time to make a big deal out of something so small. With a short nod, Luke ran to pick up the cutlass, running in between the legs of the Queen to do so. He bent at the waist, right under the shadow of the Liger Queen's head, and grabbed a hold of the hilt with his uninjured hand. He was about to leave the underbelly of the beast to throw the sword at his twin when someone loudly yelled his name.

As Luke turned in the voice's direction there came a mighty growl and small cry. Tear had been struck by the Liger Queen, down for the count. And now Asch was stuck on top the beast, digging his fingers into her fur to keep himself on as she threw her head viciously side-from-side. Luke watched unable to move as the next event played out.

Asch brought up the wooden sword still in his possession, then jammed it hard into the crook of the beast's neck. The Liger Queen tossed her head once more as she crippled under the force of the blow, collapsing to her knees.

Incidentally on Luke.

"Oof!"

Asch rolled off the Liger Queen's shoulders, glancing at the fallen sister of Van and the Fon Master who had run to her side along with Mieu. Satisfied that Tear wasn't dead and the others weren't in danger, he glanced back to the beast. His twin was completely hidden from sight, buried under the Liger Queen's weight.

"Idiot! Get out from under there!" Asch shouted, vein throbbing.

"You think I'm under here for fun?_!_" Luke shouted back, voice muffled, a vein of his own popped.

"You have a sword, don't you? Use it!"

Oh. Right. Luke's eyes narrowed as the Liger Queen slowly began to rise off him. When he had enough space to act, he tore the cutlass through the belly of the beast, grasping what little fonons he could. "_Fang Blade!_" he yelled.

With a blast, the Liger Queen stumbled back, allowing Luke room to get to his feet and limp to his brother's side. His legs had _almost _been smashed. Asch and Luke now stood side-by-side, looking at the wounded Liger Queen turn on her paws to face them.

"Tch. She just won't die, will she?" Asch uttered.

"Is Tear okay?" Luke asked, casting his brother a sideways glance.

Asch looked at him from the corner of his eye. "She's fine. Give me the sword."

"Since you asked so nicely," Luke sarcastically said, holding the cutlass up with his good arm. His twin snatched it from his hand and replaced it with the wooden sword. Luke looked at the weapon he'd been given. "You're giving me this thing again?"

"In case you get in the way again," Asch scoffed. "Don't break it."

The Liger Queen released a series of roars and growls. Her stomach had yet to stop bleeding.

"We can't let her charge this way," Luke worriedly said. "We can run away but it looks like Tear can't."

"Then we'll make the stupid monster attack us on the opposite side!" Asch said, taking off. He ran around the Liger Queen's left side and it wasn't long before Luke followed, running around her right. They met back up behind the beast who had taken to angrily facing them once more.

"Alright moron, here's your chance to be useful," Asch began to say, eyes on the Queen. "Get out there and act as bait. While she's distracted, I'll cut her down."

"What? No way!"

"Either that or I'm pushing you. Your choice!"

The Liger Queen ran at them.

"I'm not getting killed by that thing!"

"Too bad!" Asch shoved his brother forward, feeling a slight pull of particular fonons as he did so. "Hey!" he called to his twin as the younger redhead went to confront the Liger Queen.

"Shut the hell up! I'm not talking to you!"

"Use your fonic arte as many times as you can!"

"What?"

"Are you deaf? Do it!"

"Che. Annoying bastard," Luke grumbled, sweating as he looked at the Liger Queen. She looked just about ready to take his head off. At any rate, the wooden sword wouldn't do the damage he wanted, but his Fang Blade should keep the monster at bay- for now anyway.

Asch bided his time as Luke sent one fonic arte after another at the Liger Queen. He saw behind the scuffle, Tear get to her knees and take in the situation. Her eyes met his and sharpened immediately. She raised her bladed staff and shut her eyes, murmuring an incantation.

A field of fonons appeared under Luke, burning a bright green.

The strong pull of fonons sent Asch's own fonons into a frenzy. "Alright!" he ran towards his brother, gauging the amount of leverage he'd need for his attack. There should be just enough if he...

Luke craned his neck behind him at the sound of approaching footsteps. His eyes popped. "What the hell are you doing?_!"_

"_Feel the roar of lightning!" _Asch shouted, ignoring his twin as he pushed off his back. He somersaulted towards the Liger Queen's head, swinging down his fonon-powered blade. "_Lightning Tiger Blade!"_

"Bastard! I'm not out of this yet!" Luke exclaimed, charging forward. He jumped from the ground and swung Asch's wooden sword up. "_Fang Blade!"_

Asch and Luke made to pass one another, Asch towards the ground, Luke towards the sky. Their narrowed gazes clashed.

"Stupid dreck!"

"Shut up jerk!"

The two attacks slashed deep into the skin of the Queen, one cackling with electric energy, the other a sharp, fierce cut.

Asch landed long before his twin, watching as the Liger Queen roared and shook her head. She stumbled, narrowly avoiding taking Luke out as he finally came back down from his arte. Asch growled, gripping the arm of his twin and yanking him out the way staggering beast. The Liger Queen made a last swipe at them, causing the two to stumble and fall in a tangled mess.

As he toppled backwards, Asch reared back his arm and threw his cutlass with deadly accuracy, sending it soaring into one end of the beast's neck and out the other.

Ion's eyes widened, blood splashing across his face.

Luke and Asch blinked slowly at one another before shoving each other away and sitting up- just in time to witness the collapse of the Liger Queen.

Straight on top of Tear.

Asch and Luke stared at the unmoving body of the Liger Queen, then at one another.

"Oh my God..." Luke's eyes were wide in disbelief. "You killed Tear!"

"Shut up!" Asch snapped, though his expression relayed his own stunned state.

The brothers stood and hurried to where the soldier was last seen. Ion and Mieu were already trying to figure out ways to remove the massive beast from her.

"Mieu! What do we do?"

"It doesn't look like we can push the Liger Queen off her," Ion noted. He brought a hand to his chin. "I'll have to use a Daathic Fonic Arte then..."

Asch and Luke stood on either side of the Fon Master.

"Daathic Fonic Arte?" the younger Fabre repeated. "Is it strong?"

"It's an arte only Fon Masters can use," Ion replied, eyeing the dead Liger Queen. "However if I try and use it, Tear may end up getting hurt as well."

"I can sing a fonic hymn," Tear's muffled voice said, "to protect me if needed. Do what you must, Fon Master."

"Alright." Ion raised his hand, gathering blinding fonons in a swirling mass of energy. Then he brought his hand down on the Liger Queen, an intricate fonic glyph spreading beneath them. There were two blasts of light, a wide column from Ion and a dome from Tear; Ion's arte destroying the Liger Queen and Tear's protecting her in a glass-like shield.

The light over the clearing settled, and Ion sunk to his knees, trying to regain his breath.

"Ion!" Luke went to help him up.

Ion waved him aside. "G-Give me...a minute..."

"Thank you," Tear said to him, sitting.

Asch offered a hand which she gladly took.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked.

"I'm fine," Tear murmured as she was brought to her feet. "Though next time, it would be nice to have a warning tossed my way."

"Yeah Asch, you hear that?" Luke obnoxiously said.

Asch debated whether to punch or kick the snotty look off his twin's face. "As if you can talk, dreck! You're the one who almost killed the Fon Master!"

The accusation had Luke scowling. "I- w-well shut up!"

"Good comeback, _moron_."

"I'll show you a good comeback!" Luke heatedly began to yell. "When I shove my foot up your-!"

"Please... don't fight," Ion panted, slowly standing. "I'm really... perfectly alright."

Asch sent the Fon Master a skeptic look, Tear frowning slightly, and Luke fidgeting with guilt. The exhaustion and pain was clear to see on the boy's pale face, his breathing uneven and arms trembling. But no one said anything else on the subject.

Tear glanced at the rest of the party. "Is everyone else okay?"

"Fine," Asch grumbled. The ache in his ribs returned.

"Yeah, me too," Luke said.

No one believed them either.

Tear sighed, her hair falling in further in her right eye. "At least it's over. It didn't turn out the way we wanted... but at least Engeve and the cheagles will be safe."

"Right. The Liger Queen's eggs were broken during the fight," Ion said.

"Good riddance," Asch sourly said.

Luke, however, looked as if someone had just slapped him across the face. "Ah! The eggs!" He worriedly ran over to the nest. His face dropped. "No..." There, lying in a crumpled mess of shells, were the Liger Queen's eggs. He hadn't been thinking about it at the time; he hadn't even cared. But gazing at them now they were nothing more than a sorry mess, and batch of lives crushed before they could even live. _They're...all destroyed..._

Ion frowned. "Luke..."

"This...leaves a bad taste in my mouth," Luke mumbled.

"You did what you had to," Tear said turning away. She looked unsteady on her feet. "No one can fault you for that."

Luke continued to gaze at the broken eggs, chewing his lower lip. "Yeah..." _But it's still my fault._

His older brother scoffed. "Congratulations. You're a murderer."

Luke's eyes widened.

"Asch!" Tear sharply said. She gave him a disappointed glare. "If killing monsters makes someone a murderer, then you are too. You're the one who struck the Liger Queen down."

Asch harrumphed. "Che."

Ion looked in between the trio hesitantly, not wanting to cut through the thick tension, but knowing that he had to. "We...should report back to the cheagle elder. She'll want to know what happened."

Tear glanced his way. "Yes. You're right, Fon Master." She addressed the Fabre twins next. "You heard him. Let's not waste anymore time."

Luke turned from the shattered eggs and devastated nest, feeling sickened and weary all at once. Any adrenaline or triumph he might have felt from the battle was long gone, squashed by the word of his older brother.

_Murderer_.

The word left him with a horrible feeling.

He hoped he would never be called one again.

Luke was just about to leave the nesting ground completely when a small snuffling noise caught his attention. He glanced to see if the others had heard it too, but they had disappeared from the clearing. It seemed as if they couldn't wait to get away. Luke didn't blame them.

The snuffling noise came again.

A small crease appeared in Luke's forehead. "The heck is that...?"

He turned and scanned the area, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Suspiciously, he brought his eyes to the nest of liger eggs. His mouth dropped. Struggling to push its way from the bottom of the pile was a baby liger, blind and coated in blood. One of its back legs was twisted. Luke hurried over, pushing aside the other egg shells. His fingers grabbed a hold of the baby liger, slippery as it was, and hauled it over the edge of the broken nest.

Luke landed on his backside lightly, the liger plopping onto his lap with a squelch.

"W-Whoa..." Luke was baffled. How did this thing _survive _all that? Though it didn't seem to come out without severe injuries. The liger's crimson eyes were covered in a pale film, unseeing, and he doubted it'd be able to move without a permanent limp. Luke took no pleasure knowing he was the cause.

"Okay... I can handle this," he mumbled, finally putting the black pouch strapped around his waist to good use. He slipped out what he believed to be an Apple Gel and held it before the baby liger's muzzle.

The liger tentatively sniffed and peeked out the tip of its pink tongue to lick the item. Seeing it wasn't dangerous, the liger opened its mouth and swallowed the gel whole.

"I-I'm glad you're alive," Luke quietly said, rubbing the damp fur of the baby liger. He paid no attention to how dirty and slimy his hands were getting, too overcome with relief to mind. "Now the question is...what to do with you..."

The liger nuzzled its nose into his palm, snorting contentedly.

Luke frowned and lowered his eyes. Swallowing hard he set the liger on the ground. "I-I'm sorry. I...can't bring you back with me." He stood and ran from the clearing without ever looking back, hands still wet with newborn life.

Just outside, Luke found that the others had waited for him.

"What were you doing back there?" Tear asked, brow raised.

Luke forced out a laugh, scratching his neck. "Just...saying a prayer for the eggs and stuff."

A soft blush settled over Tear's cheeks at the redhead's words. _How cute..._

Ion smiled at him. "How kind of you, Luke."

Luke's smile felt fake, even to him. "Yeah." He hesitantly glanced his twin's way to see if he had noticed anything out of the ordinary- and froze. Asch was staring back into the clearing with narrowed eyes, his expression pensive as if he were mulling over a problematic thought. Then Asch glanced away and fixed his gaze onto Luke.

Luke held his breath, certain his brother would rat him out.

But Asch only moved his hard gaze onto Tear and Ion, and said, "Let's go already."

"Right."

"Of course."

The three turned and started to walk, leaving Luke to trail behind and wonder at his twin's actions.

* * *

When they got back to the giant tree where the Cheagles nested and stayed, they found more cheagles roaming around outside than before, in considerably better moods.

"Cheagles can sense other monsters," Ion explained after Luke asked about the change in attitude. "They must have felt the remaining ligers leave the area and the disappearance of the Liger Queen."

"I guess..." the word 'liger' sent Luke's mind back to the baby one he'd come across. He shook his head and frowned. "Oh yeah. That fonic arte you used- what exactly did it do to the Liger Queen?"

"Yes- I'm curious as to what happened as well," Tear said, walking alongside Luke. Asch sidled closer on the Fon Master's other side.

"I broke down its fonons and dispersed them back into the atmosphere," Ion explained.

Luke stared. "You can _do _that? Cool..."

Asch rolled his eyes. "If only he'd use it on you."

"Shut up!"

The group of five entered the tree grove of the large cheagle tree and were greeted by a warmly smiling cheagle elder.

"I can sense that the Liger Queen is gone," she started to say. "It is good to know that she threatens us no longer."

"We were glad to help," Ion said, "though I wish it could have gone better."

"What's done is done," the cheagle elder said, "and we are eternally grateful. And now that the main problem has been handled- Mieu," she addressed the blue cheagle on Tear's shoulder. "Though we are safe, you are still entitled to punishment for ever allowing this to happen. As is such, you will be exiled from the clan for one cycle of the seasons."

Mieu's ears drooped low. "I-I understand..."

"That seems too cruel," Ion said with a frown.

The cheagle elder faced him. "If left alone, he will grow thinking that wrong actions have no consequences."

Ion continued to frown. "I suppose..."

Mieu hesitantly looked at the four faces of the humans around him. "U-Um... do you think I could come with you guys on your journey?"

Luke blanched. Sure the thing was cute, but it was also annoying and held the potential to burn an entire forest down.

Asch had taken the straightforward route, with a clear and loud, "Hell no."

"Mieu..." the blue cheagle sulked.

Tear turned red at the adorable sight, glaring at the Fabre twins. "I don't see why not. Mieu hasn't caused us any problems personally."

"Yes," Ion gazed imploringly more at Luke than anyone else. He didn't think Asch would budge as easily. "Cheagles are sacred beasts of the Order of Lorelei. I'm sure your parents would love to have one."

"I- I'm not too sure about that," Luke scratched his cheek and looked away. His mother would love it for sure. His _dad _on the other hand... The thought made Luke's eyes brighten. His dad would hate to have the cheagle around. Perfect! "Alright," he decided. "The Thing can come with us. We can keep it as a pet."

Asch glowered at his twin. "What!"

Luke turned his nose up. "Well it'll follow us out the Woods either way."

"Thank you Master!" Mieu chirped. "I'm so happy!"

Luke flushed. "A-Ah! Shut up!"

"Thank you," the cheagle elder said. "Would you and your friends like to stay the night? It's quite a ways out these Woods."

Luke blinked then looked to the others. "Should we?"

Ion wearily smiled. "If you don't mind."

Luke glanced from him to Tear to his scowling brother and then down at himself. They were all pretty bruised from that fight with the Liger Queen. And he didn't want to push Ion if the boy felt tired...

"Okay," he said. "We'll stay the night."

The sun was starting to set anyway.

"Tch. I feel like we've been in this stupid place for days," Asch grumbled, stalking off to his own corner of the tree grove. Mieu bounded after him and climbed up his leg onto his head. "What are you doing?" the older Fabre snapped.

"Settling down for the night!"

"On my _head_?"

"It's very comfortable!"

"Is all you do shout? Pipe down!"

Tear had slumped against her own side of the tree grove wall, disapprovingly listening in. "If you two dare start a fight I'll..." she drifted off, falling asleep right away.

"Man," Luke stared at her. "She must have been pretty tired."

"She fought hard today," Ion noted. "All of you did. Will you be going to sleep now too?"

Luke sighed. "Yeah. I'm...pretty beat."

* * *

Night fell swiftly shortly after, and by then, the cheagles within the tree were snoring away.

Tear was peacefully dozing, Luke lying sprawled several feet away with drool leaking out the corner of his mouth. Ion was nearby, his hands folded neatly on his stomach as he laid on his back. Asch might have thought he was dead had it not been for the slow rising and falling of his chest. The older Fabre sat quietly in the dark, Mieu still sleeping on his head.

Sleep wasn't coming to him easily this night.

The ground was hard and his ribs continued to hurt. One might have been fractured. In the morning he would have Tear look at it. Trying to get her to do it earlier was something he wasn't so heartless to do. She had worn herself out, like the rest of them, and needed to regain her strength. Same for the Fon Master and...Asch supposed the same went for his idiotic twin.

He sure as hell wasn't lugging around the dreck's body if he passed out.

Speaking of Luke...

Asch wasn't an idiot. Luke praying for a bunch of eggs was about as likely as Asch getting married to Guy- which wasn't likely at all. He knew something went on in that clearing after he, Tear, and Ion left. But he'd been too tired to push the subject, and at that time, wanted nothing more than to leave. He was sick of being dragged around places.

Would they _ever _get back to Baticul? It sure didn't seem like it.

Sure the manor was stuffy and he disliked the restrictions he had when it came to leaving its walls, but it was somewhere he was familiar with. Somewhere he knew Natalia and his mother would be should he want to see them. Out here there was nothing but strangers, annoying creatures, and an even more annoying brother.

_Not to mention this ordeal with the supposedly missing Fon Master, Tear trying to kill Van, and us being in enemy territory_, he inwardly griped.

Asch frowned, sliding his eyes shut. It was all so tedious! He hadn't realized he had fallen asleep until the cheagles' snoring vanished from his hearing range and his brain cast him into a deep, dark sleep.

When he woke again morning had come, and with it, a headache from all the buzzing cheagles flitting about the inside of the tree.

Asch pried his eyelids open and groggily sat up from the ground. His ribs didn't hurt as much which was good, but they still hurt, alerting him to the fact that they would definitely need to be looked at. A pat to his head revealed that Mieu had gone off somewhere, and a further glance around the area showed that the Fon Master had disappeared as well.

Raising a brow, Asch slowly stood. He noticed his twin brother on the other side of the tree grove, awake but not making a move to get up from where he was sitting. Asch's brows furrowed and he reluctantly walked over.

"The hell is wrong with you?" he snapped. "You can't get your lazy ass up or what?"

Luke raised both eyebrows at him. "Sorry if I want to relax for a little longer. You were the one storing like a bear when I woke."

"Tear's still out?" Asch muttered, looking away to the sleeping soldier. She was quite clearly knocked out, resting on her side next to his twin. Strange. Weren't they sleeping farther apart earlier?

"What do you expect?" Luke muttered back. "You dropped a liger the size of a damn boulder on her."

Asch scoffed. "You really piss me off, you know that?"

Luke snorted, leaning his head against the wall. His eyes closed. "The feeling's mutual, believe me."

Asch narrowed his eyes at his twin, unable to wipe the disgust from his face and not really making an effort to. How could he? Looking at his stupid younger brother, covered head-to-toe in scratches and bruises; nothing more than a pathetic mess after a couple of days in the Woods. His jacket was as tattered as his pants, the left coattail completely torn off. The bandages on him arm had started to unwravel, and Asch noticed that his twin had tried to tie it back.

"Stupid," Asch muttered, turning around. He took a step forward, and paused. An image flashed through his mind, of an adrenaline rush, of the heat of battle, of him and Luke striking down the Liger Queen- together. In that moment they had been one and the same, with only one goal in mind. Survival. The short look they shared after she fell and the strange feeling that had overcome him, he now knew what the sensation had been.

Satisfaction.

And the desire to pat Luke on the back.

The thought made Asch want to gouge himself in the head.

But now, standing here in the present, he didn't want to stab his newly acquired cutlass into his skull. He wanted to stab it through Luke's instead. That stupid, stupid dreck! He was nothing but trouble!

"Asch?"

The redhead glanced to the side where the Fon Master suddenly stood, Mieu cuddled snuggly in his arms. "What is it?"

Ion smiled a little. "You must want to leave the Cheagle Woods by now. Should we go?" he asked.

Asch folded his arms. "I'd like nothing better, but Tear is sleeping," he replied.

"I see..."

"We can carry her," Luke said, having gotten up. He approached the two without ever casting his older twin a second look. "I want to get out of here as fast as possible too." And it was true. Not only did he have a feeling that killing that Liger Queen would have terrible reprecussions, his guilt over crushing her eggs had yet to fade. Even if one of the ligers had managed to survive... well it was best he didn't think about it. As well as the fact that his clothes were near unwearable at this point, his hair was still an ugly wreck, and he felt and smelled like a piece of garbage.

He'd never wanted a shower more in his entire life.

"Good idea Luke," Ion said. "I'm sure she won't mind."

"So long as she's unconscious anyway," Luke mumbled. Somehow, he didn't think the soldier would like being carried.

Asch rolled his eyes and started walking towards the tree grove exit. "Fine. But you'll carry her dreck- since you offered."

"Don't call me that," Luke snapped.

"Whatever, stupid."

"Don't call me that either!"

* * *

The walk away from the cheagles' habitat was very quiet. Neither Asch nor Luke felt it right to argue in front of the Fon Master, something they were surprised they felt embarrassed about when they had no qualms about it before. Both chalked it up to the fact that Tear wasn't there to interrupt, as she was sleeping quite heavily on the younger redhead's back.

None of them expected the teasing voice that suddenly broke the delicate silence.

"My, my, what a lovely scene. Carrying your bride, are you?"

Mieu squealed and buried himself in Ion's arms, as Asch tensed and Luke jumped, dropping Tear like a sack of potatoes.

"How kind of you," Jade dryly said, eyeing the unmoving girl. "I'm sure she'll thank you when she wakes."

Luke flushed. "S-Shut up!"

"What are you even doing out here?" Asch demanded to know.

"Me?" Jade lightly heaved his shoulders. "Oh nothing in particular. It was such a nice day to go out on a walk, I simply couldn't resist. How about you two? You certainly look as if you've been doing more than going on a mere walk."

"Can it four-eyes," Luke grumbled.

Jade put a wounded look upon his face. "I'm so very hurt."

Ion stepped out from behind Luke, his small brows lowered. "They were helping me, Jade."

"So this is where you were. You ran off so suddenly at night that we had no idea where you were," Jade said, though it was obvious to all in the area that the Colonel knew he'd find Ion here.

Ion lowered his eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry. I wanted to get to the bottom of the cheagle theft."

"And you carelessly involved civilians, putting both yourself and them in danger. How thoughtless. That isn't like you."

"I- I know..."

"You look quite worn out as well. Don't tell me you've been using Daathic Artes as well? The doctor strictly prohibited you from doing so."

Ion's brows dropped. "Yes...well-"

Luke scowled, finally butting in. "Hey, lay off already will you? He said he was sorry, you don't have to bully him!"

Jade looked amused. "Bully him? I was merely scolding."

"Yeah right!"

"At any rate," Jade said, "I've finished the lecture. Now onto other matters."

Asch was suspicious. "Like what?"

"Like your arrest." As Jade spoke the words, the bushes around them rustled and a group of armed Malkuth soldiers formed a tight circle to prevent their escape. Bringing up the rear was a small pig-tailed girl, her hands on her waist.

"I brought the men you requested Colonel," she announced. "The Tartarus has also been brought to the entrance of the Cheagle Woods."

"Well done, Anise. I appreciate it."

Ion frowned in her direction. "Anise..."

"Ah! Ion!" the Fon Master Guardian sheepishly looked down, twiddling her thumbs. "I hope you don't think bad of me for following orders~"

Ion's frown deepened, but it wasn't directed at her. He glanced at Jade.

"What's the meaning of this?" Asch demanded, peeved.

Luke looked at Ion, expression unreadable. "Did you- did you plan this all along?" he asked, feeling stupid for ever going along with Ion's adventure.

"No Luke, I-"

"You're under arrest for trespassing illegally onto Malkuth territory." Jade interrupted. He pushed his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose, smirking. "I do hope you don't mind. It was quite the hassle, pinning you three down." His eyes wandered to Tear momentarily as he said this.

"Jade," Ion sharply started.

"Now, now Fon Master," Jade reassuringly said. "I have no intentions of harming them- assuming they don't resist."

It was clear to see however that neither of the twins were going to go without a struggle. In moments, the guards trying to grapple them were on the ground, brought down by surprisingly violent blows to their heads and stomachs. Both Luke and Asch stood in the center of the fallen soldiers, eyes wild and stances tense. They didn't seem to realize that they were standing back-to-back, supporting one another.

"Oh dear..." Jade sighed.

The twins looked at him, the look on their faces causing him to pause. Luke looked completely terrified, glancing from Jade to Ion with a betrayed expression. Asch, on the other hand, was gripping the hilt of his rusted cutlass so hard, the Colonel began to wonder if it'd break under the pressure. Unlike Luke who seemed more frightened and bewildered than anything else, Asch was much more hostile, a dark look in his eyes; ready to rip the limbs from Jade's body should he make any sudden movements.

_Interesting,_ Jade inwardly mused. _One would think he'd been taken hostage before. But nevertheless..._

"I can't say I appreciate what you did to my guards," Jade told the pair. A fonic glyph appeared beneath his feet faster than the twins could react, and he raised a hand.

Ion frowned. "Wait a minute-"

"_O' maddening gala of the spirits of the earth-"_

Asch's eyes widened briefly before he started to charge.

_"Stalagmite!"_

The ground beneath the redheads' feet trembled violently before jutting upwards in thick, jagged spikes. As expected, Asch and Luke moved out the way. That is why Jade sharply turned his head and called, "Anise!"

"Right," the small girl firmly nodded, slinging her puppet off her back. It expanded in size, catching Luke and Asch off guard who had been barreling in her direction with the intentions of running by. "Sorry- orders are orders!" was all she exclaimed before smacking one of her puppet's arms into Luke. The blow was more than enough to send him crumpling to the ground. Asch, having quick enough reflexes to dodge, jumped back- straight into the Colonel's waiting hands.

Jade twisted the older redhead's arms behind him in a vice-like grip, letting out an exasperated breath. "You two certainly are troublesome. I think I threw my back out," he said.

Asch snarled and struggled to break free. "Let go of me you four-eyed bastard or I'll-!"

Jade easily knocked him out with a well-placed blow to the redhead's neck.

Ion looked at the Colonel incredulously. "Jade!"

The Colonel shrugged as if he had no choice in the matter. "I did warn them." He condescendingly pat the unconscious Asch on top his head. "Now let's get moving."

* * *

**A/N: I just wanted to say thanks for the reviews again! It was such a long time since I last updated that I thought no one would read this anymore. But it's good to know you're all so interested and curious to know who the 'third' Fon Fabre is.**

**In response to a particular review- yes, I have read Reflections! Among others in this fandom that I enjoyed just as much.**

**Let's hope the next chapter comes out within the next week.**


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